[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 520 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 520

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
   firearms laws should be rigorously enforced, that all appropriate 
   measures should be taken to end the flood of unlawfully purchased 
 firearms into our communities, and that adequate resources should be 
                 provided to accomplish such purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 5, 2015

 Mrs. Lawrence (for herself, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Jackson Lee, 
 Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Fudge, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) submitted 
 the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
   firearms laws should be rigorously enforced, that all appropriate 
   measures should be taken to end the flood of unlawfully purchased 
 firearms into our communities, and that adequate resources should be 
                 provided to accomplish such purposes.

Whereas the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the 
        Attorney General are uniquely positioned to lead the efforts to enforce 
        Federal firearms laws;
Whereas the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is severely 
        underfunded and, as a result, has faced significant challenges in 
        monitoring and regulating illegal firearms trafficking;
Whereas law enforcement authorities are restricted from fully tracking the 
        purchase, use, and sale of firearms, making it harder for them to 
        aggressively pursue criminals who use firearms illegally and to track 
        the movement of firearms used in crimes;
Whereas nearly 90 percent of firearms involved in crime can be traced back to 5 
        percent of firearms dealers;
Whereas, since enactment of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act on 
        February 28, 1994, background checks have stopped more than 2,100,000 
        firearms sales to prohibited purchasers, including convicted felons, 
        domestic abusers, fugitives from justice, and other dangerous 
        individuals;
Whereas, despite the successes of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, 
        unlawfully purchased firearms are involved in approximately 400,000 
        crimes each year;
Whereas at least 30,000 firearms are ``lost'' from firearms dealer's inventories 
        each year;
Whereas the cost of firearm violence in the United States alone have been 
        estimated at approximately $100,000,000,000 annually; and
Whereas, each year, individuals with firearms injure more than 100,000 people 
        and kill more than 30,000 people, including through homicides, suicides, 
        and accidental deaths: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the Federal firearms statutes should be rigorously 
        enforced;
            (2) all appropriate measures should be taken to end the 
        flood of unlawfully purchased firearms into our communities;
            (3) adequate resources should be provided to accomplish 
        such purposes.
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