Thompson lauds committee passage of Protecting Our Kids Act

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On Thursday, House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) lauded Judiciary Committee passage of H.R. 7910, Protecting Our Kids Act.

This gun violence prevention legislation co-authored by Chairman Thompson includes common sense measures supported by the American people that will help end gun violence and save lives.

The Protecting Our Kids Act is expected to come to the House floor next week for a vote.

“The passage of the Protecting Our Kids Act today by the House Judiciary Committee is an important step forward to help end gun violence,” said Thompson. “By cracking down on gun trafficking, ghost guns and bump stocks, raising the age to purchase certain firearms, strengthening safe gun storage rules, and banning large capacity magazines often used in mass shootings, we can help keep our communities safe and save lives. I look forward to voting on this legislation when it comes to the floor next week and I will continue to do everything in my power to enact common sense gun laws that our nation wants and our country desperately needs.”

Earlier this week, House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (NY-10) and House Judiciary Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairwoman, Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) introduced H.R. 7910, Protecting Our Kids Act.

The House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, on Thursday by a vote of 25 to 19.

H.R. 7910 would:

• Raise the lawful age to purchase a semiautomatic centerfire rifle from 18 to 21 years old.
• Establish a new federal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a large capacity magazine, with exceptions for certain law enforcement uses and the possession (but not sale) of grandfathered magazines; allow state and local governments to use the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to compensate individuals who surrender large capacity magazines through a buyback program.
• Establish new federal offenses for gun trafficking and straw purchasers and authorize seizure of the property and proceeds of the offense.
• Establish voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage and award grants for Safe Firearm Storage Assistance Programs.
• Establish requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises; create criminal penalties for violation of the requirements
• Build on ATF’s regulatory bump stock ban by listing bump stocks under the National Firearms Act and statutorily banning the manufacture, sale, or possession of bump stocks for civilian use.
• Build on ATF’s regulatory ban of ghost guns by ensuring that ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm regulation by amending the definition of “firearm” to include gun kits and partial receivers and changing the definition of “manufacturing firearms” to include assembling firearms using 3D printing.

Following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, then-Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi appointed Rep. Mike Thompson Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. This group, consisting of more than 185 Members of Congress, is devoted to finding common sense solutions to our nation’s ongoing gun violence epidemic.