Politics & Government

Gun Sales Need Expanded Background Checks, State Rep. Says

If State Rep. Steve Santarsiero's bill is passed, Pennsylvania would be the sixth state to close the loophole for background checks on long guns in private sales.

State Rep. Steve Santarsiero is calling for a vote on a bill that would expand background checks on firearms sales. His sponsored legislation, House Bill 1010, would require universal background checks for all firearm sales.

“Right now in Pennsylvania, criminals may lawfully purchase an assault rifle even though it is illegal for that same criminal to purchase a handgun,” Santarsiero said during a news conference in Harrisburg Wednesday.

Santarsiero said a loophole in Pennsylvania’s background check laws allows private, non-licensed sellers to sell long-barrel guns, including assault rifles, without conducting a background check on the buyer.

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If Santarsiero's bill is passed, Pennsylvania would be the sixth state to close the loophole for background checks on long guns in private sales.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane joined Santarsiero at the news to express support of the legislation and call for a vote.

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Santarsiero said his bill would bring consistency to the law.

“A clear majority of Americans, Pennsylvanians and even gun owners support universal background checks as a commonsense law to help keep our communities safer from gun violence,” Santarsiero said. “While federal legislation would bring greater consistency across the nation, we can no longer wait for Congress to act.” 

“Not only does this legislation have bipartisan support in the House, but it also has the support of many in the law enforcement community, including our state’s top law enforcement agent, Attorney General Kathleen Kane,” Santarsiero said. 

Santarsiero said the bill, House bill 1010, would make for a more consistent system for conducting gun sales by requiring them to occur through a gun dealer with a Federal Firearms License. He said this process includes the background check and preserves the effectiveness of the laws in place and protects responsible gun owners.

“We know that passing H.B. 1010 will not stop all gun violence. No bill or group of bills will do that,” Santarsiero said. “But consider this: over its 15-year history, the Pennsylvania Instant Check System, or PICS, has enabled the state police to stop over 100,000 people from illegally obtaining firearms. In that same period, PICS has resulted in the successful prosecution of over 2,150 criminals. It’s time to expand that success," he said.

If bill is enacted, Pennsylvania would be the sixth state to close the loophole for background checks on long guns in private sales. California, New York, Rhode Island, Colorado and Connecticut all have universal background check laws. 

“It has been nearly four months since the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. I represent Newtown, Pennsylvania, where more than a common community name first sent a wave of sorrow washing over mothers and fathers who watched the horrible news that day,” Santarsiero said. “We cannot undo the past. We cannot prevent every tragedy in the future. But we can and must take reasonable steps to make our communities and state safer."

Santarsiero represents all of Lower Makefield and Newtown townships, all of Yardley and Newtown boroughs and half of Upper Makefield Township.


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