Joco Today

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and James Risch have introduced the Sporting Firearms Access Act in Washington, D.C. This legislation aims to prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from denying imports of firearms and ammunition without clear justification.

The bill seeks to clarify the definition of "sporting purposes," a term used by the ATF to regulate firearm imports under the Gun Control Act of 1968. The proposed definition would encompass activities such as hunting, target shooting, and competitions. According to existing law, firearms and ammunition can only be imported if deemed suitable for sporting purposes by the ATF. However, ambiguity in this definition has led to instances where U.S. customers and businesses face arbitrary import denials.

The Sporting Firearms Access Act intends to prohibit the ATF from rejecting items that are substantially similar to those already available in the U.S. It also requires collaboration between the agency and the firearms industry to determine which items qualify as suitable for sporting purposes. Furthermore, the bill introduces an appeals process for wrongful determinations and allows for judicial review.

Joining Senators Marshall and Risch in introducing this bill are Senators Mike Crapo, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Cassidy, Rick Scott, John Cornyn, Steve Daines, Roger Wicker, Tim Sheehy, Thom Tillis, Pete Ricketts, and Ted Budd.