Velázquez introduces gun bill that would tax sales, fund anti-violence and mental health programs
Firearms flooding into NYC via ‘Iron Pipeline’
Just hours before the latest tragic shooting death of a teen in Brooklyn on Monday, U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez unveiled a bill aimed at quashing the flow of guns into big cities and reducing gun violence.
The “Reducing Gun Violence in Our Neighborhoods Act” would levy a $100 tax on every gun sale to civilians. The money raised – between one and two billion dollars — would fund anti-violence programs and local mental health services.
The bill would also require that gun owners report stolen or lost firearms within 48 hours, establish a database for missing firearms and require new technology be embedded in guns so they can be traced. Those who don’t report stolen weapons would be slapped with a $10,000 fine. (Currently, many weapons traced to out-of-state owners are classified as stolen.)