Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2007

The Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2007 (H.R.96) is U.S. gun control legislation introduced on January 4, 2007 by Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.). It would require background checks for all firearm sales at gun shows.

Bill summary


Support
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which supports the measure, explained that although federally-licensed firearm dealers (FFLs) are required to conduct Brady criminal background checks when they sell guns at gun shows, flea markets and swap meets, as well as unlicensed individuals who set up next to FFLs, are not required to conduct background checks in most states. Terrorists, criminals and other people prohibited from buying or possessing guns seek out unlicensed sellers, because they can pay cash and walk away with deadly weapons. Additionally, because unlicensed sellers are not well-regulated and do not keep records, criminals exploit gun shows to sell firearms and law enforcement has difficulty tracing gun-show firearms that turn up at crime scenes.

Consideration
The measure was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary at introduction and onto its Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on February 2, 2007.

Castle and the three initial co-sponsors, Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), gained an additional co-sponsor, Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) on April 16, 2007, the day of the Virginia Tech Massacre.

External resources

 * OpenCongress page on the bill