House of Reps Passes H.R. 8 for Universal Background Checks

On Thursday, March 11, 2021 the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, a bill that would impose mandatory Federal NICS background checks on ALL firearms transfers, including private sales. Some states, such as California, already have this restriction in effect, but in a few other states intra-family or person-to-person long gun sales are allowed. The House also passed a second gun control measure, H.R. 1446, which would extend the initial background check review period from three to 10 business days. Previously if the NICS check was not completed by the FBI within 3 business days, a sale could (in most circumstances) proceed.

CLICK HERE for H.R. 8 Full Text »

NOTE: H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 have NOT (yet) been approved by the U.S. Senate, or signed into law. But given Democratic Party control of the Senate and White House, there is a good chance that both these House bills may well become the law of the land.

About H.R. 8 — What It Would Require
This bill would change the law in states where certain types of person-to-person sales do not currently require the purchaser to have a Federal background check. USA Today explained: “The legislation would expand the cases in which a background check is required for the sale or transfer of a firearm, including for private individuals and groups, closing the ‘Gun Show Loophole'[.] The bill would make it illegal for anyone who is not a licensed firearm importer, manufacturer or dealer to trade or sell firearms to another person; current federal law requires background checks only for [sales made by] licensed gun dealers.”

As it stands now, this Universal Background Check bill would not mandate a National Registry of all firearms, but we know that many Democratic Party politicians, including Pres. Biden and V.P. Harris, support a National Registry. This would provide the Federal government with a database of all firearms owned by Americans, along with the location of the guns. Such a Registry would facilitate gun confiscation, as is happening right now in Canada. (READ about Canadian Gun Confiscation.)

NRA-ILA Finds Flaws with H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446
After the House of Representative passed gun control bills HR 8 and HR 1446, on a nearly party-line vote, NRA-ILA Exec. Dir. Jason Ouimet released the following statement:

“These bills are a transparent attempt by gun control advocates in Congress to restrict the rights of law-abiding Americans under the guise of addressing the violent criminal culture in America. The truth, however, is that neither of these bills will do anything to solve that problem. By giving full power to unelected government bureaucrats to indefinitely delay and prevent lawful firearm transfers, H.R. 1446 could ultimately destroy the Second Amendment rights guaranteed to every law-abiding American by turning it into a privilege enjoyed by a select few. H.R. 8, so called ‘universal’ background checks, cannot be enforced without a federal gun registry, will not prevent crime, and will turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals for simply loaning a firearm to friends or family members.​ If Congress is serious about the safety of law-abiding citizens, it should have passed concealed carry reciprocity so that Americans can safeguard themselves and their families across state lines and throughout our country during these dangerous times.”​​​​

Video Explains Important Provisions of H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446: