Reps. Davis, Pascrell, Schneider, Blumenauer, Suozzi, Moore, and Evans Lead Bill to Create Guaranteed Annual Funding for Gun Violence Prevention

Reps. Davis, Pascrell, Schneider, Blumenauer, Suozzi, Moore, and Evans Lead Bill to Create Guaranteed Annual Funding for Gun Violence Prevention

Washington, D.C. -- Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Bill Pascrell, Jr., (D-NJ), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Dwight Evans
(D-PA) introduced The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act - legislation to create guaranteed annual funding for gun violence prevention. The bill would increase the federal excise tax on guns and ammunition by just half a percent and apply the federal excise firearms tax to assault-weapon frames and receivers which currently are not taxed if sold separately.

The bill would direct the estimated $20 to $38 million in new revenue to four programs designed to make communities safer: community-based violence prevention grants; gun violence research; hate crimes prevention and enforcement; and forensic examiner training to improve gun crime clearance rates.

“The gun violence crisis in America inflicts epidemic harm on individuals, families, and communities, and the federal government must substantially invest in gun violence prevention,” said Rep. Davis. “Not one penny of current federal excise taxes on guns and ammunition goes to gun violence prevention. Further, the federal
gun tax has remained the same for over 100 years, and the ammunition tax is the same as it was during World War II. The Gun
Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act is an important part of comprehensive gun violence prevention because it creates guaranteed annual funding to stop gun violence via a small increase of 0.5% in existing excise gun and ammunition taxes.

This bill also closes a major loophole in tax law that allows many assault-type weapons to evade taxes altogether. This bill is an important step in ensuring federal investment every year to make our communities safer.”

This legislation is supported by: Brady: United Against Gun Violence;
Everytown for Gun Safety; the Major Cities Chiefs Association; Newtown Action Alliance; and the Violence Policy Center.

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