Attorney General 2019-62 Attorney General Supports Closing Ammunition Sale Loophole
Posted on Sep 23, 2019 in Latest Department NewsHONOLULU – Hawaii Attorney General Clare E. Connors and a coalition of 20 other Attorneys General sent a letter today to Congressional leaders urging their support of legislation that extends existing background check requirements on firearm sales to also include ammunition sales. The Attorneys General argue these background checks would decrease gun violence by stopping individuals who are prohibited from purchasing a gun from also obtaining ammunition.
“An individual who is prohibited from purchasing firearms should not be able to purchase ammunition,” said Attorney General Connors. “This is a common sense measure to make our communities safer.”
Jaime’s Law is named after Jaime Guttenberg, who was 14 years old when she was one of 17 students and teachers killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The bill would make it illegal for individuals who are already “prohibited purchasers” under federal law—including convicted felons, domestic abusers, and individuals with serious mental health conditions— to purchase or possess ammunition.
To enforce this requirement, individuals would either have to be licensed to own a firearm or undergo a background check to purchase ammunition. Federal law already places these requirements on firearms sales; extending those same requirements to ammunition can reduce gun violence and suicide.
Jaime’s Law is currently with the House Judiciary Committee. The Attorneys General ask the Committee to give the bill their support and urge the House and the Senate to ensure this important bill is passed to help law enforcement keep communities safe.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania led the coalition, which also included the Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
# # #
For more information, contact:
Krishna F. Jayaram
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
(808) 586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ATGHIgov