H.R. 124: "Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2003"

[cuchulainn]

Hopefully will have a snowballs chance in ....



http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c108:./temp/~c108zkx6eY

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 124
To provide for the mandatory licensing and registration of handguns.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 7, 2003
Mr. HOLT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary



A BILL
To provide for the mandatory licensing and registration of handguns.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL HANDGUN LICENSING AND REGISTRATION SYSTEM TO APPLY IN ANY STATE THAT DOES NOT HAVE A HANDGUN LICENSING AND REGISTRATION SYSTEM THAT MEETS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`Sec. 931. Licensing and registration of handguns

`(a)(1) The Attorney General shall establish a Federal system for the licensing and registration of all handguns owned, possessed, or controlled in the United States, which shall include a method for easily retrieving information sufficient to identify--

`(A) each resident of a State to which this subsection applies who owns, possesses, or controls a handgun; and

`(B) the handgun.

`(2) It shall be unlawful for a person to own, possess, or control a handgun in a State to which this subsection applies unless the person--

`(A) is licensed to do so by the system established pursuant to paragraph (1); and

`(B) has registered the handgun with a Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency.

`(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply in a State if there is in effect a certification by the Attorney General that the State has in effect a system for the licensing and registration of handguns owned, possessed, or controlled in the State that--

`(1) includes a method for easily retrieving information sufficient to identify--

`(A) each resident of the State who owns, possesses, or controls a handgun in the State; and

`(B) the handgun; and

`(2) at a minimum, imposes criminal penalties on any person who owns, possesses, or controls a handgun in the State, and who--

`(i) has not completed training in firearms safety;

`(ii) is not licensed by the State to possess a handgun; or

`(iii) has not registered the handgun with a Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency.

`(c) A certification under subsection (b) with respect to a State shall have no force or effect on or after the date the Attorney General finds, after an opportunity for a hearing on the record, that the State does not have in effect the system described in subsection (b).

`(d) The Attorney General shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.'.

(b) PENALTIES- Section 924(a) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(7) Whoever knowingly violates section 931(a)(2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not less than 15 years, or both. The court shall not suspend a sentence of imprisonment imposed under this paragraph or impose a probationary sentence under this paragraph.'.

(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections for such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

`931. Licensing and registration of handguns.'.

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section shall apply to conduct engaged in after the 2-year period that begins with the date of the enactment of this Act.
END

 

[Dan Shapiro]

Rush D. Holt
New Jersey-12th, Democrat
1019 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-3012
Phone: (202) 225-5801

 

[Pendragon]

`(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply in a State if there is in effect a certification by the Attorney General that the State has in effect a system for the licensing and registration of handguns owned, possessed, or controlled in the State that--

So - this law will force gun registration in states that do not already have it. How nice for the man from New Jersey to export the madness of his home state to the good people of other states who have so far not shown a need to setup such a risky scheme.

15 years for unlawful posession - wow. And who is this targeted at? Why it is already illegal for a felon or house mate squabbler to own a handgun. It is also illegal to carry a gun while commiting a crime or to use one to harm another person with out cause.

This bill is targeted directly at us - specifically at those of you who live in the freer states.

Another interesting thing - this would seem to make it illegal to "control" a weapon without being "trained" so forget about taking people to the range who are fence sitters. They have to get licensed first - but who would get licensed to do something they are not first interested in?

Bingo.

(no worries though - handgun registration schemed and bans are proposed every year and have been for decades. This is probably the least likely time that someone could pass something like this.)

 

[Wildalaska]

Wow! Hes got a lot of sponsors! Clearly the electorate is ready for this legislation. Thank god for Congressmen like him.

WildkeepthesebozosinNJpleaseAlaska

 

[Bill St. Clair]

You posted a temporary URL. Thomas gives these out a lot. To get the real URL, you need to type in the bill number on the home page, click from there to the "Summary and Status Page", and then use the "Bill Text" link at the bottom of that page.

If you see the word "temp" in the URL, it's a temporary link that will break sometime in the near future.

The permanent URL for this bill is http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.124:.

Since it has no cosponsors, it probably won't get out of committee.

[edited to add how to recognize "temp" URLs]

 

[KMKeller]

How utterly vomitous!

 

[Monkeyleg]

Wisconsin congressman James Sensenbrenner is chairman of the judicicary committee. No way this will see the light of day.

 

[m.i.sanders]

Bills like this give new merit to revisting nullification. Of course, we know were that led last time. Looks like it may be time to start letter writing again.

 

[Jeff OTMG]

This is going to be fun. I will give Holt a call this week. Sen Reed from R.I. tried this a few years ago and after I called the office they had no response. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[QuickDraw]

Well,Well,Well.
One would hope that this gets the attention of gun owners nationwide.
It would seem that its not "only in California".
What is that I hear all time from people in the "free"states?
Oh yea,"why don't you just move"?

QuickDraw

 

[Ironbarr]

My sincere apologies ladies and gentlemen...

I might just turn in my New Jersey Birth Certificate and my school records from five different NJ schools and anything else I can find that ties me to NJ - it has to be the most Fouled Up state (next to MA/CA) in the country and I apologize for not going home after USN retirement to run for office, which since I didn't do may, in some way, make this crap my responsibility. Ugh - even hate to think of that.

I truly believe that when California slips into the sea a corresponding balance-out relief on the East Coast should be MA & NJ.

I take this moment to unabashedly thank you and all tax payers who supported my career and family during my Navy tour, and GOT ME THE HECK OUT OF NJ; and Virginians for being so more-so level-headed, that I stayed here.

-Andy

 

[spartacus2002]

Once they all get back in the office tomorrow, I'm going to have fun calling Rep. Holt's staffers and asking exactly what this bill is intended to do, and exactly why they think it is going to help.

I'll do what my professors used to do to us in law school: torment us by responding to every assertion we made with either "how?" or "why?" You can get people to tie themselves in knots with just those two words.