Allred Votes for Common-sense Gun Safety Measures to Save Lives

June 8, 2022
Press Release

Bill raises the age to buy an assault style weapon to 21, bans large capacity magazines and encourages safe storage of firearms

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) voted for the Protecting Our Kids Act, a package of gun safety-related measures. The measure passed with bipartisan support and now awaits Senate action. 

“If there is any action we can take to reduce gun violence and save lives, we must do it, and this package takes common-sense steps to do just that,” said Allred. “Uvalde joined a long list of tragedies where our most innocent were taken from us because of senseless gun violence, and inaction is not an option. For my two boys, and for every parent and child out there, I urge the Senate to act on these common-sense measures to save lives.” 

WATCH: Allred spoke on the House floor today and read a letter from a six-year-old North Texan and urged swift passage of this legislation.

 

The Protecting Our Kids Act:

  • Raises the age to purchase a semiautomatic centerfire rifle or shotgun from 18 to 21;
     
  • Bans large capacity magazines, with exceptions for law enforcement and the possession of grandfathered magazines; also allows federal grants to compensate individuals who surrender large capacity magazines through a buyback program;
     
  • Makes gun trafficking and straw purchases for third parties a federal crime;
     
  • Requires dealers to provide a secure gun storage or safety device with the sale of a shotgun or rifle, establishes voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage, and makes available $10 million in grants to states to distribute firearm storage devices to the public;
     
  • Establishes requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises, and creates criminal penalties for violation of the requirements;
     
  • Codifies into law the bans of bump stocks for civilian use, which increases the fire rate of weapons,by building on the regulatory bump stock ban;
     
  • Builds on the regulatory ban of ghost guns by ensuring that ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm regulation by amending the definition of “firearm” to include gun kits and partial receivers and changing the definition of “manufacturing firearms” to include assembling firearms using 3D printing.

 

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