Beverly Press: Federal bill aims to raise age to buy assault weapons
By Staff
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced legislation on Feb. 14 to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers.
The bill was introduced on the seventh anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Individuals under 21 have used assault weapons in many of the most devastating school shootings in U.S. history, including the mass shootings in Parkland, Florida; at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
“Seven years after a 19-year-old gunman tragically took the lives of 17 students and faculty in Parkland, we’re still seeing far too many preventable mass shootings at the hands of deadly assault rifles,” Padilla said. “If you can’t legally buy a handgun, there’s no reason you should be able to buy a military-grade weapon. This commonsense legislation would raise the minimum age to purchase or carry an assault weapon or high-capacity ammunition from 18 to 21 – the same standard already in place for purchasing handguns – helping to curb the gun violence epidemic that continues to devastate communities in California and across the nation.”
The bill’s restrictions on the sale of assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices and ammunition to individuals under the age of 21 would apply to federally licensed and private sellers. Additionally, the legislation would prohibit most individuals under 21 from possessing the items, with limited exceptions for specific circumstances such as service in law enforcement or the armed forces. California currently bans assault weapons by type, series and model.
“This bill helps address the epidemic of gun violence by restricting access to weapons capable of inflicting the most grievous loss of life to those of appropriate age,” U.S. Senator Schiff (D-Calif.) said. “It is not too much to ask that someone wait until the age of 21 to purchase a military style assault weapon for civilian use. Gun violence takes the lives of too many people each year, including many children, and we must do everything in our power to find solutions that keep our communities and our children safe.”
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