Democratic members of Congress have introduced a bill that would impose restrictions on bulk ammunition sales, licensing requirements on ammunition vendors, and background checks for ammunition buyers.
Democratic U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Democratic U.S. Representatives Robert Garcia of California and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida introduced the bill on Nov. 2, according to news releases from Warren and Garcia’s offices.
Under the Ammunition Modernization and Monitoring Oversight Act, businesses selling ammunition must possess the same federal licenses gun dealers are required to obtain, according to the bill’s sponsors.
Furthermore, ammunition vendors must conduct background checks on purchases under the bill.
According to the bill’s sponsors, the legislation helps compensate for the lack of regulation on ammunition sales.
Currently, the bill’s sponsors say that ammunition vendors face no requirements to have licenses before selling ammunition to buyers, restrictions on quantity sold, and mandatory record-keeping and data-sharing requirements.
“We have a moral responsibility to treat gun violence in this country like the crisis it is,” Warren said, according to the news release from her office.
“The Ammunition Modernization and Monitoring Oversight (AMMO) Act is a common-sense step to restrict ammunition sales, strengthen federal oversight of those sales, and help end the epidemic of gun violence in America,” the senator said.
The policy proposed by the legislation already exists in the state of California, according to Breitbart News.
The AMMO Act would take what is current policy in California and make it a federal policy.
In California, ammunition can only be purchased from state-approved vendors, and background checks are required for ammunition purchases, Breitbart reported.
Out-of-state ammunition purchases are also prohibited in the state, according to the outlet.
“The bottom line is no individual should be buying bulk amounts of ammunition without a federal background check from places like gas stations, pharmacies, and convenience stores – especially without any sort of regulation and no record of the sale,” Garcia said.
Gun violence is a national epidemic that requires a national solution, yet there are essentially no federal regulations governing the sales of ammunition. @SenWarren and I are changing that with the AMMO Act. pic.twitter.com/wR3GqiaQi4
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) November 2, 2023
“If we’re ever going to really take on the gun violence epidemic in this country, we need to regulate ammo accessibility. This bill aims to protect the American public from the devastating violence that occurs when individuals have access to unlimited amounts of weaponry,” the representative added.
The AMMO Act would also extend the ban on straw purchase prohibitions on firearms to ammunition, making it unlawful for people to buy ammunition and then give it to others, according to the bill’s sponsors.
Should the AMMO Act be passed, individuals will face restrictions on bulk purchases of ammo, depending on the type of ammunition.
One cannot buy more than 100 rounds of .50 caliber ammo, and no more than 1000 rounds for other types of ammunition in a five-day period, according to the bill’s sponsors.
“No family should endure the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence,” said Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. “I’m proud to work with Congressman Robert Garcia and Senator Warren to introduce comprehensive legislation closing the ammunition loophole in our gun safety laws. This bill will save lives.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
