Category: Federal Legislation

Senator Gillibrand has introduced S.597, prohibiting the purchase of certain firearms by individuals under 21 years of age.

From the Olean Times Herald:

“U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is sponsoring legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase military-style semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity ammunition clips from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers … “Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America today,” the senator said in a press statement. “Year after year, deadly assault weapons inflict devastating and avoidable harm on our families, schools and communities, causing children, parents and teachers to live with the fear that the next school shooting may happen in their community.” Gillibrand said the Age 21 Act “offers a critical safeguard to prevent such tragedies, decreasing the threat of gun violence against our kids.” …”

I don’t think we have anything to worry about for two reasons.

First, I believe only 2-3 of her bills have ever actually been signed into law and they were meaningless fluff, renaming buildings or something like that. If she intros something, it’s a solid bet that it won’t be going anywhere.

Second, the 5th Circuit recently ruled such a law unconstitutional and that followed a state law in Virginia going down in 2023. A new lawsuit was just filed in Massachusetts on this issue. It is not looking good for this type of law.