A bill that would provide federal incentives for state and local governments to implement gun licensing legislation was proposed by two legislators from Maryland.
The Handgun Permit to Purchase Act, according to Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Senator Chris Van Hollen, would require people to get a license before purchasing a handgun.
The measure was initially filed by Senator Van Hollen in 2015.
In order to encourage state and local governments nationwide to enact handgun licensing legislation, the proposed measure would establish a federal grant program. The award recipient would have to mandate that potential gun owners be at least 21 years old, apply for a permit, and submit to a background check.
Individuals must be required by the licensing requirements to renew their permits every five years.
Lawmakers claim that 14 states have laws requiring handgun licenses, including Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Shortly after the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the state’s stringent gun licensing requirement, the proposed legislation was approved.
The argument contended that by making it extremely difficult for people to get firearms, Maryland’s 2013 Handgun Qualification Licensing Law infringed upon the Second Amendment.
Before purchasing a firearm, the law mandates that people complete a background check, provide their fingerprints, and receive safety training. Following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut, it was passed.
Following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that increased gun rights, the statute was overturned by an appeals court. However, it was later reinstated after an appeals court determined that it complied with prior firearm laws.
“Maryland’s law is a prime example of a common-sense firearm safety measure that the Handgun Permit to Purchase Act is designed to incentivize in other states across the country,” according to lawmakers’s joint statement.
According to a 2015 study by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, handgun licensing regulations have been shown to lower firearm homicide rates. These rules were linked to an 11% decrease in firearm homicides in urban counties between 1984 and 2015.
The Baltimore Police Department recovered 82% fewer firearms with key signs they were used for criminal activity after Maryland’s Handgun Qualification Licensing Law was examined.
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Maryland takes action against gun violence
In recent years, Maryland has taken strong action against gun violence.
Following the White House’s call for states to fight gun violence, the state established the first-of-its-kind Center for Firearm Violence Prevention in 2024.
A law enabling state and local authorities to sue the firearms industry responsible in civil court was passed into law by Governor Wes Moore in 2024. Another law prohibited Glock switches or “rapid fire trigger activators” and broadened the description.
In 2024, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined 16 other attorneys general in a coalition to hold the firearms industry responsible for its role in gun violence.
“Gun violence tears our communities apart and threatens Maryland families’ safety,” Attorney General Brown stated. “The companies that make up the firearms industry must do their part to help us address this life-threatening epidemic.”
Additionally, the Attorney General joined a dozen other Democratic attorneys general in defending two federal gun laws that are being contested in court.
