Representative Sheila Jackson Lee

Representing the 18th District of TEXAS

CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE INTRODUCES H.R. 3125, “ACCIDENTAL FIREARMS TRANSFERS REPORTING ACT OF 2015”

Jul 22, 2015
Press Release
Jackson Lee: “Requiring the FBI to report occurrences of accidental transfers of a firearms to individuals who should have been denied access ensures internal oversight and allows for effective monitoring to expose any other patterns or practices in need of administrative or legislative action.”

July 21, 2015                                                                       

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and Judiciary Committee, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, today introduced H.R. 3125, the “Accidental Firearms Transfers Reporting Act of 2015,” and released the following statement:

“Today I introduced the “Accidental Firearms Transfers Reporting Act of 2015,” which directs the FBI to report to Congress the number of firearm transfers resulting from the failure to complete a background check during an administrative delay.  The FBI must further disclose the procedures it has in place and actions taken after discovering a firearm has been transferred to a person who should have been ineligible to receive a firearm.

“With this critical data and compliance reporting we can learn more about the senseless loophole that led to Dylan Roof’s tragic possession of the firearm used to murder 9 innocent persons at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as the numerous other cases where a firearm was handed over to an unintended and potentially dangerous recipient.  Requiring the FBI to report on such cases every 6 months, not only ensures their internal oversight but it allows for effective monitoring to expose any other patterns or practices in need of administrative or legislative action.

“We cannot afford another accidental transfer of a firearm to an individual who should have been denied access upon a thorough and timely background check. Currently, the FBI is not responsible for reporting how often this happens and what procedures are in place to ensure immediate action should a firearm be accidentally transferred to an ineligible person. H.R. 3125 would protect the community through informed policies that resolve any lack of transparency or potential loopholes.”

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas’s 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.