WASHINGTON — In what could be the biggest expansion of federal background checks in decades, the Biden administration is moving to end the controversial “gun show loophole.”
“This single loophole in our federal background check system has caused unimaginable pain and suffering,” Vice President Kamala Harris said on a conference call with reporters.
On Thursday, the Justice Department will submit a new 466-page regulation to the Federal Register outlining that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will require anyone “engaged in the business” of selling guns for a profit to register as a federal agent. licensed firearms dealer and perform criminal and mental health background checks on purchasers. A senior administration official said the new rule updates the definition of “engaged in business” as a gun dealer established by the bipartisan Safer Communities Act and provides clarity on who must obtain a license.
In a video posted on Thursday X, President Joe Biden said, “Congress needs to finish the job and pass universal background check legislation now.”
ATF Director Steven Dettelbach said the change should take effect within a month. It will likely face legal challenges, though the administration argues the rule will hold up in court using a provision of the sweeping gun control law passed by Congress in 2022.
“This final rule does not infringe on anyone’s Second Amendment rights and will not negatively impact the many licensed and law-abiding firearms dealers in our country,” Dettelbach said.
Advocates have intensified calls for change since the 2022 mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and it comes as Biden’s campaign seeks to highlight the administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence. Last month, Harris visited Parkland, Florida, and met families whose loved ones were murdered during the 2018 mass shooting. In December, the vice president also brought together nearly 100 state legislators from 39 states to launch an initiative that would provide states additional tools to promote gun safety measures. In September, Biden created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
“This is perhaps the most impactful change made possible by the 2022 gun safety bill,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who has been outspoken on the issue since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
This article was originally published in NBCNews. with
