HR 8 : Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019

Position: Support Status: House Judiciary Committee

The purpose of this Act is to utilize the current background checks process in the United States to ensure individuals prohibited from gun possession are not able to obtain firearms.

232 cosponsors (227 D, 5 R)
Oregon cosponsors are Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Congressmen Blumenauer, DeFazio, and Schrader but not Congressman Walden.

Update

March 25, 2019

02/27/2019 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 240 - 190 (Roll no. 99). 02/22/2019 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 116-11. January 8, 2019: Introduced by Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5]

Under current federal law, background checks are only required when purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL). Oregon closed the gun show loophole in 2000 and the private sale loophole in 2015 (SB 941). However, in many other states, unlicensed sellers, including private sellers, can sell or transfer a gun without asking any questions.

HR 8 would close a dangerous loophole in our federal gun laws and require a background check for every gun sale, including those sold online, at gun shows and through private sales.

Requiring background checks for all gun sales is supported by 97% of gun owners–yes, gun owners. (Quinnipiac Poll 2018)