Democrats Advance Gun Control Bills to Full House With No GOP Support
Includes attempt to ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns
January 18, 2024
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Includes attempt to ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns
Procedural maneuver changes bill from age limit consideration to constitutional-carry.
Senator Pat Toomey is one of 10 Republicans to back a bipartisan gun control proposal.
Another year, another round of gun control measures from Pennsylvania Democrats.
For the second time since the party regained the majority in the state House, Democrats advanced five gun control measures out of the Judiciary Committee yesterday, including one that would ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns. The bills now await full consideration from the chamber.
Should the measures pass the state House, it is unlikely that the bills pass muster with the state Senate which has a 28-22 Republican majority. A year ago, similar bills did not get called up in committee. Rather, senators have attempted to work with Democrats to boost funding for anti-violence and mental health programs.
Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, voiced his satisfaction that the committee is finally voting on legislation like this to help communities across the state that are wracked with gun violence.
“Untraceable firearms and ‘ghost guns’ have been a problem in this state for many years, so I’m happy that we’re finally able to move on closing our loopholes and reforming state law to bring us in line with surrounding states and federal law. I’m proud that this committee is finally acting to reduce gun violence and go after the bad actors that proliferate illegal firearms on our streets.”
One of the bills is aimed at aimed at ending the proliferation of “ghost guns” in Pennsylvania. House Bill 777, as amended in committee, would impose a felony of the third degree on anyone who sells or purchases a firearm or firearm parts without serial numbers.
“Ghost guns are far too easily obtainable in Philadelphia and in our neighboring municipalities, leading to a disproportionate effect on the day-to-day gun violence in our communities, specifically in communities of color,” said Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia).
Here are the five bills that advanced out of the Judiciary Committee:
House Bill 335: HB 335 would prohibit the sale and possession of parts designed to accelerate the fire rate of a semiautomatic firearm to simulate the rate of fire of an automatic machine gun. This includes “bump stocks.”
House Bill 336: HB 336 would ban the possession and sale of assault weapons in the state. The bill would affect semiautomatic and burst-fire weapons, as well as guns that have features including military-style grips and magazines with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds.
House Bill 777: HB 777 would require individuals who make guns to put serial numbers on the firearm’s parts. Guns without serial numbers are often referred to as “ghost guns,” which are untraceable firearms that anyone can buy without undergoing a background check.
The bill would also require serial numbers to be stamped on gun parts that are not otherwise required to be serialized under federal firearms law.
House Bill 1157: HB 1157 would shorten the time that courts have to report to state police if a person’s mental health status would disqualify them from owning a firearm. If passed, the bill would reduce the timeframe for notification from seven days to between 72 and 96 hours.
House Bill 1190: HB 1190 would require 3-D-printed firearms to be treated as standard firearms and subjected to all standing laws and regulations. The bill would also prohibit anyone from printing a firearm without a federal license.
Republicans raised concerns about infringing upon constitutional rights.
“Let’s be clear, this legislation infringes upon our Second Amendment liberties,” said Rep. Joe Hamm (R-Lycoming/ Sullivan) before pointing to Ukraine and Israel as evidence that citizens should be free to arm themselves to protect their families and properties. “The regulation proposed by this legislation would primarily affect law-abiding citizens while criminals will continue to obtain firearms illegally.”
“I think we need to acknowledge that no constitutional right is absolute,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny). “The government absolutely, based on a long history of Supreme Court precedent, has the ability to reasonably restrict any right in order to protect public safety. The reality is that possession of a machine gun by a private citizen does nothing to protect our communities or national security. We have the largest standing military in the world. We don’t need to have the same kind of access as the citizens of the Ukraine.”
Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence prevention group, said the advancing of the bills showed a “commitment to survivors.” He called the automatic weapons ban proposal the first such effort in “modern times.”
“This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime that plagues cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere else in between,” Garber said.
Another year, another round of gun control measures from Pennsylvania Democrats.
For the second time since the party regained the majority in the state House, Democrats advanced five gun control measures out of the Judiciary Committee yesterday, including one that would ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns. The bills now await full consideration from the chamber.
Should the measures pass the state House, it is unlikely that the bills pass muster with the state Senate which has a 28-22 Republican majority. A year ago, similar bills did not get called up in committee. Rather, senators have attempted to work with Democrats to boost funding for anti-violence and mental health programs.
Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, voiced his satisfaction that the committee is finally voting on legislation like this to help communities across the state that are wracked with gun violence.
“Untraceable firearms and ‘ghost guns’ have been a problem in this state for many years, so I’m happy that we’re finally able to move on closing our loopholes and reforming state law to bring us in line with surrounding states and federal law. I’m proud that this committee is finally acting to reduce gun violence and go after the bad actors that proliferate illegal firearms on our streets.”
One of the bills is aimed at aimed at ending the proliferation of “ghost guns” in Pennsylvania. House Bill 777, as amended in committee, would impose a felony of the third degree on anyone who sells or purchases a firearm or firearm parts without serial numbers.
“Ghost guns are far too easily obtainable in Philadelphia and in our neighboring municipalities, leading to a disproportionate effect on the day-to-day gun violence in our communities, specifically in communities of color,” said Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia).
Here are the five bills that advanced out of the Judiciary Committee:
House Bill 335: HB 335 would prohibit the sale and possession of parts designed to accelerate the fire rate of a semiautomatic firearm to simulate the rate of fire of an automatic machine gun. This includes “bump stocks.”
House Bill 336: HB 336 would ban the possession and sale of assault weapons in the state. The bill would affect semiautomatic and burst-fire weapons, as well as guns that have features including military-style grips and magazines with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds.
House Bill 777: HB 777 would require individuals who make guns to put serial numbers on the firearm’s parts. Guns without serial numbers are often referred to as “ghost guns,” which are untraceable firearms that anyone can buy without undergoing a background check.
The bill would also require serial numbers to be stamped on gun parts that are not otherwise required to be serialized under federal firearms law.
House Bill 1157: HB 1157 would shorten the time that courts have to report to state police if a person’s mental health status would disqualify them from owning a firearm. If passed, the bill would reduce the timeframe for notification from seven days to between 72 and 96 hours.
House Bill 1190: HB 1190 would require 3-D-printed firearms to be treated as standard firearms and subjected to all standing laws and regulations. The bill would also prohibit anyone from printing a firearm without a federal license.
Republicans raised concerns about infringing upon constitutional rights.
“Let’s be clear, this legislation infringes upon our Second Amendment liberties,” said Rep. Joe Hamm (R-Lycoming/ Sullivan) before pointing to Ukraine and Israel as evidence that citizens should be free to arm themselves to protect their families and properties. “The regulation proposed by this legislation would primarily affect law-abiding citizens while criminals will continue to obtain firearms illegally.”
“I think we need to acknowledge that no constitutional right is absolute,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny). “The government absolutely, based on a long history of Supreme Court precedent, has the ability to reasonably restrict any right in order to protect public safety. The reality is that possession of a machine gun by a private citizen does nothing to protect our communities or national security. We have the largest standing military in the world. We don’t need to have the same kind of access as the citizens of the Ukraine.”
Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence prevention group, said the advancing of the bills showed a “commitment to survivors.” He called the automatic weapons ban proposal the first such effort in “modern times.”
“This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime that plagues cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere else in between,” Garber said.
Another year, another round of gun control measures from Pennsylvania Democrats.
For the second time since the party regained the majority in the state House, Democrats advanced five gun control measures out of the Judiciary Committee yesterday, including one that would ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns. The bills now await full consideration from the chamber.
Should the measures pass the state House, it is unlikely that the bills pass muster with the state Senate which has a 28-22 Republican majority. A year ago, similar bills did not get called up in committee. Rather, senators have attempted to work with Democrats to boost funding for anti-violence and mental health programs.
Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, voiced his satisfaction that the committee is finally voting on legislation like this to help communities across the state that are wracked with gun violence.
“Untraceable firearms and ‘ghost guns’ have been a problem in this state for many years, so I’m happy that we’re finally able to move on closing our loopholes and reforming state law to bring us in line with surrounding states and federal law. I’m proud that this committee is finally acting to reduce gun violence and go after the bad actors that proliferate illegal firearms on our streets.”
One of the bills is aimed at aimed at ending the proliferation of “ghost guns” in Pennsylvania. House Bill 777, as amended in committee, would impose a felony of the third degree on anyone who sells or purchases a firearm or firearm parts without serial numbers.
“Ghost guns are far too easily obtainable in Philadelphia and in our neighboring municipalities, leading to a disproportionate effect on the day-to-day gun violence in our communities, specifically in communities of color,” said Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia).
Here are the five bills that advanced out of the Judiciary Committee:
House Bill 335: HB 335 would prohibit the sale and possession of parts designed to accelerate the fire rate of a semiautomatic firearm to simulate the rate of fire of an automatic machine gun. This includes “bump stocks.”
House Bill 336: HB 336 would ban the possession and sale of assault weapons in the state. The bill would affect semiautomatic and burst-fire weapons, as well as guns that have features including military-style grips and magazines with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds.
House Bill 777: HB 777 would require individuals who make guns to put serial numbers on the firearm’s parts. Guns without serial numbers are often referred to as “ghost guns,” which are untraceable firearms that anyone can buy without undergoing a background check.
The bill would also require serial numbers to be stamped on gun parts that are not otherwise required to be serialized under federal firearms law.
House Bill 1157: HB 1157 would shorten the time that courts have to report to state police if a person’s mental health status would disqualify them from owning a firearm. If passed, the bill would reduce the timeframe for notification from seven days to between 72 and 96 hours.
House Bill 1190: HB 1190 would require 3-D-printed firearms to be treated as standard firearms and subjected to all standing laws and regulations. The bill would also prohibit anyone from printing a firearm without a federal license.
Republicans raised concerns about infringing upon constitutional rights.
“Let’s be clear, this legislation infringes upon our Second Amendment liberties,” said Rep. Joe Hamm (R-Lycoming/ Sullivan) before pointing to Ukraine and Israel as evidence that citizens should be free to arm themselves to protect their families and properties. “The regulation proposed by this legislation would primarily affect law-abiding citizens while criminals will continue to obtain firearms illegally.”
“I think we need to acknowledge that no constitutional right is absolute,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny). “The government absolutely, based on a long history of Supreme Court precedent, has the ability to reasonably restrict any right in order to protect public safety. The reality is that possession of a machine gun by a private citizen does nothing to protect our communities or national security. We have the largest standing military in the world. We don’t need to have the same kind of access as the citizens of the Ukraine.”
Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence prevention group, said the advancing of the bills showed a “commitment to survivors.” He called the automatic weapons ban proposal the first such effort in “modern times.”
“This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime that plagues cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere else in between,” Garber said.
Another year, another round of gun control measures from Pennsylvania Democrats.
For the second time since the party regained the majority in the state House, Democrats advanced five gun control measures out of the Judiciary Committee yesterday, including one that would ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns. The bills now await full consideration from the chamber.
Should the measures pass the state House, it is unlikely that the bills pass muster with the state Senate which has a 28-22 Republican majority. A year ago, similar bills did not get called up in committee. Rather, senators have attempted to work with Democrats to boost funding for anti-violence and mental health programs.
Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, voiced his satisfaction that the committee is finally voting on legislation like this to help communities across the state that are wracked with gun violence.
“Untraceable firearms and ‘ghost guns’ have been a problem in this state for many years, so I’m happy that we’re finally able to move on closing our loopholes and reforming state law to bring us in line with surrounding states and federal law. I’m proud that this committee is finally acting to reduce gun violence and go after the bad actors that proliferate illegal firearms on our streets.”
One of the bills is aimed at aimed at ending the proliferation of “ghost guns” in Pennsylvania. House Bill 777, as amended in committee, would impose a felony of the third degree on anyone who sells or purchases a firearm or firearm parts without serial numbers.
“Ghost guns are far too easily obtainable in Philadelphia and in our neighboring municipalities, leading to a disproportionate effect on the day-to-day gun violence in our communities, specifically in communities of color,” said Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia).
Here are the five bills that advanced out of the Judiciary Committee:
House Bill 335: HB 335 would prohibit the sale and possession of parts designed to accelerate the fire rate of a semiautomatic firearm to simulate the rate of fire of an automatic machine gun. This includes “bump stocks.”
House Bill 336: HB 336 would ban the possession and sale of assault weapons in the state. The bill would affect semiautomatic and burst-fire weapons, as well as guns that have features including military-style grips and magazines with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds.
House Bill 777: HB 777 would require individuals who make guns to put serial numbers on the firearm’s parts. Guns without serial numbers are often referred to as “ghost guns,” which are untraceable firearms that anyone can buy without undergoing a background check.
The bill would also require serial numbers to be stamped on gun parts that are not otherwise required to be serialized under federal firearms law.
House Bill 1157: HB 1157 would shorten the time that courts have to report to state police if a person’s mental health status would disqualify them from owning a firearm. If passed, the bill would reduce the timeframe for notification from seven days to between 72 and 96 hours.
House Bill 1190: HB 1190 would require 3-D-printed firearms to be treated as standard firearms and subjected to all standing laws and regulations. The bill would also prohibit anyone from printing a firearm without a federal license.
Republicans raised concerns about infringing upon constitutional rights.
“Let’s be clear, this legislation infringes upon our Second Amendment liberties,” said Rep. Joe Hamm (R-Lycoming/ Sullivan) before pointing to Ukraine and Israel as evidence that citizens should be free to arm themselves to protect their families and properties. “The regulation proposed by this legislation would primarily affect law-abiding citizens while criminals will continue to obtain firearms illegally.”
“I think we need to acknowledge that no constitutional right is absolute,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny). “The government absolutely, based on a long history of Supreme Court precedent, has the ability to reasonably restrict any right in order to protect public safety. The reality is that possession of a machine gun by a private citizen does nothing to protect our communities or national security. We have the largest standing military in the world. We don’t need to have the same kind of access as the citizens of the Ukraine.”
Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence prevention group, said the advancing of the bills showed a “commitment to survivors.” He called the automatic weapons ban proposal the first such effort in “modern times.”
“This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime that plagues cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere else in between,” Garber said.
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