The Biden administration closes the ‘gun show loophole’ to reduce gun violence.

On Thursday, the administration of Vice President Joe Biden took a step toward passing a rule that would require those who sell firearms at gun shows and online to conduct background checks on the individuals who may be interested in purchasing that firearm.

Through the implementation of a more stringent definition of what it means to be “engaged in the business” of selling weapons, the completed regulation intends to close what proponents of gun control refer to as the “gun show loophole.” This will be accomplished by tightening the criteria to receive a federal firearms license, often known as an FFL. As part of its efforts to effectively regulate the market and encourage increased compliance with the federal background check requirement, the Justice Department has stated that it intends to make the phrase more definitive.

According to a statement released by Attorney General Merrick Garland, “Under this regulation, it will not matter if guns are sold on the internet, at a gun show, or at a brick-and-mortar store: if you sell guns primarily for the purpose of making a profit, you are required to be licensed, and you are required to conduct background checks.”

A few days before the 25th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Columbine High School, which she referred to as “a horrific act of violence that was carried out in part with guns purchased through the gun show loophole,” Vice President Kamala Harris informed the media that the new rule was in the process of being completed.

Since then, a great number of cities have been torn apart as a result of violence that was perpetrated with guns that were purchased without doing background checks, according to Harris. These areas range from New Paris, Ohio, to Chicago, Illinois, to Midland-Odessa, Texas. With the implementation of this new rule, I am confident that a great number of families and communities will be spared the horror and the heartache that is caused by gun violence.

The finalized rule, which will be published in the Federal Registry, will become effective thirty days after it has been finalized. The measure was initially suggested by the government in August of last year.

The definition of engaging in the business of dealing firearms was expanded to include all individuals who “dedicate time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business to predominately earn a profit through the repetitive purchase and sale of firearms.” This expansion was made possible by the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022. An executive order was then issued by President Joe Biden, which directed the Department of Justice to create a new rule that addresses the question of who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms.

As part of the process of finalizing the new rule, the Department of Justice (DOJ) amended the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to include the newly expanded definition of engaging in the business of firearms dealing. Additionally, the DOJ clarified the behavior that presumptively requires a license in accordance with the revised definition.

In order to ensure that “genuine hobbyists and collectors” are able to add to or get rid of guns in their collection without infringing the law, the rule explains what it means to have a “personal firearms collection.” Additionally, the regulation gives clarification regarding what FFLs that are going out of business should do with their inventory.

A senior official at the White House stated that it is believed that the new rule will have an effect on slightly more than 20,000 individuals who are engaged in the selling of firearms without a license.