“Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act of 2015” Introduced to Curb BATFE Abuse

Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act of 2015
Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act of 2015
NRA - Institute for Legislative Action
NRA – Institute for Legislative Action

Fairfax, VA -(AmmoLand.com)- Rep. Rob Bishop Introduces Bill to Curb BATFE Abuse. Urge your U.S. Representative to cosponsor and support this important legislation today!

On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced H.R. 2710, the “Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act of 2015.” This bill would remove BATFE’s authority to interpret or reinterpret the “sporting purposes” clauses in federal law, which only serve to undermine the core purpose of the Second Amendment. Under Chairman Bishop’s legislation, all lawful purposes – including self-defense – would have to be given due consideration and respect in the administration of federal law.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the core purpose of the Second Amendment is self-defense. Nevertheless, many federal laws that regulate the importation, possession and transfer of firearms measure the lawful utility of firearms based on their usefulness for so-called “sporting purposes.”

The term “sporting purposes” is undefined by federal statute and has been subject to several reinterpretations by the BATFE and its predecessor agency. BATFE and anti-gun administrations have exploited the lack of a clear definition of “sporting purposes” to bypass Congress and impose gun control through executive fiat. The most recent (and perhaps most infamous) example of this was the Obama administration’s attempt to ban a highly popular form of ammunition for the AR-15, America’s most popular rifle.

H.R. 2710 would put a stop to this for good and accomplish the following essential reforms to federal firearms laws:

Eliminate ATF’s authority to reclassify popular rifle ammunition as “armor piercing ammunition.” The federal law governing armor piercing ammunition was passed by Congress to target handgun projectiles, but BATFE has used the law to ban common and popular rifle ammunition, as it recently attempted with M855/SS109 5.56×45 ammunition.

Provide for the lawful importation of any non-NFA firearm or ammunition that may otherwise be lawfully possessed and sold within the United States. BATFE has used the current discretionary “sporting purposes” standard to deny the importation of firearms that would be perfectly legal to manufacture, sell, and possess in the United States.

Protect shotguns, shotgun shells, and certain rifles from arbitrary classification as “destructive devices.” Classification as a destructive device subjects a firearm to the registration and taxation provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA) and creates a ban on possession of such firearms in some states.

Broaden the temporary interstate transfer provision to allow temporary transfers for all lawful purposes rather than just for “sporting purposes.”

NRA would like to thank Chairman Bishop for his steadfast support of the Second Amendment and the introduction of H.R. 2710.

Again, please contact your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to cosponsor and support this important legislation!

About the NRA-ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

For more information, please visit: www.nra.org. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at NRA on Facebook and Twitter @NRA.

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Jeffie

Since when is the 2a just about self defense?

The right to bear arms is a right period.

Aliel The Heretic

The main purpose of the 2nd amendment is to make sure the population is just as well armed as the government, so that if tyranny should arise, the citizens can violently overthrow the government. The secondary purposes of the 2nd amendment are to repel foreign invasion and THEN self defense.

I serious doubt even THIS politician truly knows the true reason behind the 2A.

MontieR

The entirety of this farcical liars dance is built on the lies of no rights are absolute. YES they are, the second states “shall NOT be infringed”. No law, regulation, ordinance, bill or even a political suggestion pertaining to the ownership, what kind of weapon or how a weapon is carried, stored or used has ANY LEGAL basis. The most used “excuses” by the anti gunners is that THEIR control of “guns” will magically make us all safer. This is the SOLE impetus (for the public good) (if it saves just one life) for their OPEN failures to follow the… Read more »

Jim

Well said.