DC Gun Laws and Proposed Amendments (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised April 26, 2011 |
| Report Number |
R40474 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Vivian S. Chu, Legislative Attorney |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium June 28, 2010 (20 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
In the wake of the Supreme Courtâs decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which declared three firearms provisions of the DC Code unconstitutional, a flurry of legislation was introduced both in Congress and in the District of Columbia Council. In the 110th Congress, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6842, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act. In the 111th Congress, similar provisions were incorporated as an amendment to the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act of 2009 (S. 160), which was passed by the Senate. Later, separate measures, which also would have overturned or loosened many of the Districtâs gun provisions, were introduced in both the House of Representatives (H.R. 5162) and the Senate (S. 3265). Meanwhile, the District Council passed its own legislation that made permanent amendments to DCâs firearms control regulations. The two bills from the District are the Firearms Control Amendment Act of 2008 and the Inoperable Pistol Amendment Act of 2008, which amended the DC Code in an effort to comply with the ruling in Heller as well as provide a different range of restrictions on firearm possession. In the 112th Congress, Representative Mike Ross introduced H.R. 645, âTo restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia.â This measure is identical to H.R. 5162 from the previous Congress. This report provides an analysis of the Districtâs firearms laws and congressional proposals.
