Federal Gun Control Laws: The Second Amendment and Other Constitutional Issues (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Feb. 1, 1995 |
| Report Number |
95-220 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Dorothy Schrader, Office of Senior Specialists |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
This report examines the historical, legal, and constitutional arguments for and against an individual right to bear firearms under the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Those who favor federal gun control laws tend to assert that the Second Amendment has been correctly interpreted by the courts to confer only a collective right, which may be exercised through state militias. Those who oppose gun control laws tend to assert that the Second Amendment should be interpreted to grant an individual right to bear arms for lawful purposes, subject to appropriately minimal restrictions.
