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Committee approves measure easing penalties for some FFL clerical errors, prompting sharp debate
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee on Friday approved HR 3770, the Firearm Act, a measure proponents said protects federally licensed dealers from losing their licenses over clerical errors, while opponents said it would open loopholes for dealers who intentionally divert guns to criminals.
The House Judiciary Committee advanced HR 3770, the Firearm Act, after heated debate over whether the bill would make criminal prosecutions or administrative enforcement harder for federally licensed firearm dealers who “willfully” violate federal law.
Sponsor Representative Darrell Issa and supporters said the bill responds to an ATF enforcement approach that, they argue, used regulatory leverage to revoke Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) for technical errors. The bill includes procedures that would allow licensees to self-report certain curable violations and gives a 30-business-day window in which to correct those violations before certain enforcement actions proceed. The bill also creates definitions intended to distinguish…
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