Bill · H.R. 532· House(119-HR-532)
Handgun Permit to Purchase Act
- Introduced
- 1/16/2025
- Last activity
- 1/16/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Jamie Raskin
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Handgun Permit to Purchase Act seeks to authorize a grant program for handgun licensing programs. The Attorney General is authorized to award competitive grants to States, local government units, and Indian tribes. These funds are intended to help these entities develop, implement, or improve requirements for purchasing a handgun. To be eligible, applicants must have a law in place requiring a license for handgun purchasers. This law must include specific requirements regarding age, residency, and background checks.
Yes
Does this put more limits on buying or owning guns?+7
The bill establishes a competitive grant program to implement and improve handgun purchaser licensing requirements including background checks and age limits.
Would people in cities be better off under this?+4
The bill's findings suggest that such laws reduce firearm homicides which are often concentrated in urban areas.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+3
The bill implements age-based licensing requirements that may reduce firearm-related violence impacting young adults.
The opposite
Would gun owners be better off under this?-5
The bill imposes new licensing, background check, and reapplication requirements on individuals seeking to purchase handguns.
Does this protect the right to own guns?-4
The bill mandates stricter licensing, age requirements, and mandatory reapplications for handgun owners.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Reductions in violence: The bill's findings state that adopting handgun purchaser licensing laws is associated with significant reductions in firearm-s related homicides (Section 2, paragraph 4).
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Reduction in specific crime rates: The text notes that in Connecticut, the adoption of such a law was associated with a 27.8-percent reduction in firearm homicide rates and a 32.8-percent reduction in firearm suicide rates (Section 2, paragraph 5).
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Lower rates of mass shootings: Findings indicate that States with strong firearm purchaser licensing laws were associated with 56 percent lower rates of fatal mass shooting incidents and 67 percent fewer mass shooting victims (Section 2, paragraph 8).
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Improved law enforcement recovery: Research cited in the bill suggests that in Maryland, the adoption of a licensing law was associated with an 82-percent reduction in the recovery of handguns with key indications of diversion for criminal use by the Baltimore Police Department (Section 2, paragraph 7).
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Funding for local programs: The Attorney General may award grants to assist States, local governments, and Indian tribes in implementing and improving their handgun purchaser licensing programs (Section 3, subsection a).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased difficulty for certain purchasers: The bill notes research where 41-percent of prohibited purchasers surveyed in Baltimore reported greater difficulty in obtaining a handgun (Section 2, paragraph 7).
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Mandatory licensing requirements: To receive a grant, an applicant must have a law in effect that requires individuals to be at least 21 years old, a citizen or permanent resident, and must apply through a law enforcement agency (Section 3, subsection a).
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Mandatory background and record keeping: Applicants are required to submit to a background investigation, a criminal history check, fingerprints, and photographs (Section 3, subsection a).
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Requirement to reapply: The law requires that individuals must reapply for a handgun purchaser license or permit after a period no longer than 5 years (Section 3, subsection a).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Gun Control Measures+7Improves Second Amendment Protections-4
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Urban Residents+4Good For Young Adults+3Good For Gun Owners-5
- 1/16/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Jahana HayesDemocrat · Connecticut