Bill Introduced to Limit ATF's Ability to Block Imports
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, introduced a bill to prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or ATF, from blocking the import of guns and ammunition.
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The agency does allow importation of firearms it says are suitable for sporting purposes, but Risch and his 11 Republican co-sponsors say the bill giving ATF the authority to block imports is ambiguous, and ATF has denied imports that should have been allowed.
The Sporting Firearms Access Act wouldn't allow ATF to ban imports of firearms or ammunition that is "substantially similar to those in circulation in the U.S.," and would require ATF to consult with the industry on a list of guns that are used for sporting purposes. It also creates an appeal process for import bans, and a means for judicial review.