Congressman Panetta Cosponsors Bipartisan Background Check Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, cosponsored H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. The bill expands the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet, or in classified ads, while providing reasonable exceptions for family and friend transfers.
"Gun violence impacts every community. As United States Representatives, we need to be committed to preventing it by passing effective reforms. Crime prevention and responsible gun ownership can be bolstered by reasonable, workable legislation like H.R. 8, which will expand background checks for sales and transfers of firearms," said Congressman Panetta. "This bipartisan, commonsense legislation is a meaningful step toward helping prevent gun violence and making our communities safer."
Introduced by Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA-5) and Peter King (R-NY-3), H.R. 8 comes on the 8th anniversary of the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona that left six dead and severely wounded former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D-AZ).