Expanded Background Checks

The most dangerous gap in federal firearm laws today is by far the background check loophole. Although federal law requires licensed firearm dealers to perform background checks on prospective purchasers, it does non require unlicensed sellers to practise and so.A 2017 report published in the Register of Internal Medicine estimated that 22% of US gun owners acquired their nigh contempo firearm without a background check.In other words, millions of Americans buy firearms, no questions asked every year.

According to the US Department of Justice, because federal law fails to crave background checks by every person who sells or transfers a gun, "individuals prohibited by law from possessing guns can easily obtain them from private sellers and do so without whatever federal records of the transactions." Additionally, because federal police does non require private sellers to inspect a buyer's driver's license or whatever other identification, sellers tare non required to ostend that a heir-apparent is of legal age to purchase a firearm. "The individual-party gun market," a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine observed, "has long been recognized as a leading source of guns used in crimes."

Co-ordinate to recent national polling data from Quinnipiac, support for expanded background checks is almost universal, 97 – 2 percent, including 97 – 3 percent amidst gun owners. Even in Tennessee, a "ruddy" state with a high percentage of gun owners, polling washed by both Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee State University in 2015, indicate the majority of Tennesseans back up expanding background checks to all gun sales, with one poll indicating 83% support and the other at 84%.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is responsible for processing background checks for licensed dealers. Each year, they issue a written report detailing how many checks they processed, including how many were denied. While some denials may be successfully appealed, every year thousands of individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing firearms are prevented from doing then.

The question then becomes, what practise those individuals do? While some may choose not to pursue buying a gun, others will seek out private sellers and will obtain a gun without a background check. Gun exchanges, such every bit Armslist.com and various Facebook groups make information technology easy to detect a individual seller, negotiate a price online, then meet in person and exchange cash for a firearm, no questions asked. Or, the prohibited purchaser may go to a gun show to buy a gun without a background cheque. Although official gun evidence vendors are required to have a federal firearms licenses and can but sell to people who have successfully passed a background check, private sellers are too immune to sell firearms. Information technology is non uncommon to see them walking effectually gun shows, carrying a firearm with a "for auction" sign taped to it, or standing around the periphery. In Tennessee, obtaining firearms in this way, from private sellers and without a background bank check is legal.

Expanding background checks will take no touch on whatsoever to the vast majority of gun owners, the majority of which not only back up universal background checks, but who also purchase their firearms from licensed dealers. 20 other states have already passed some version of expanded background checks, and that number is likely to climb as public demand for meliorate gun laws continues to grow, nationally and in Tennessee.

Gun violence prevention organizations and public wellness researchers are not the just groups who favor closing the background bank check loophole. Police enforcement has long called for this outcome to be addressed. In May of 2018, the Major Cities Chiefs Association gathered in Nashville to discuss measures to forestall gun violence. They released a "Firearms Violence Policy" press release. The start policy argument states: "Institute a strong organization for universal groundwork checks to cover all firearm purchases, with no exceptions." At their 2015 meeting, one of the superintendents said of expanded background checks, "This is a no-brainer, this is the simplest thing in the world."

Considering the life-saving potential of expanded background checks, and the fact that so many Tennessee voters want to see them passed, Condom Tennessee is recommending that our state join the 20 other states in passing this legislation.

Read our total report on Expanded Groundwork Checks hither.