New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport is helping lead a coalition of 23 state attorneys general opposing a broad Trump administration effort to roll back federal firearms regulations.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced this spring that it was considering changes to 34 firearms regulations, prompting the attorneys general to submit a series of comment letters challenging many of the proposals.
The coalition argues that the changes could weaken background checks, make it more difficult to revoke licenses from gun dealers who violate federal law, ease restrictions on firearms imports and eliminate records used by law enforcement to trace guns used in crimes.
“ATF’s plan to deregulate firearms will put New Jerseyans at risk and erode the tremendous gains we have made in reducing gun violence over the past few years,” Davenport said. “In addition to endangering families simply going about their days, this effort to eviscerate sensible gun regulations will also imperil law enforcement and first responders, who regularly put themselves in harm’s way to protect or rescue us. These proposed changes simply make no sense.”
Among the proposals opposed by Davenport and the other attorneys general is one that would exempt some gun buyers with state-issued permits from federal background checks required under the Brady Act.
The coalition is also challenging a proposal that would change federal licensing requirements for gun dealers, potentially allowing more individuals to sell firearms without conducting background checks or maintaining sales records. The attorneys general contend that the change conflicts with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted by Congress in 2022.
Other proposals would permit remote identity verification for some gun buyers, narrow restrictions on straw purchases and establish a higher standard for determining when a gun dealer has “willfully” violated federal law, potentially making license revocations more difficult.
The attorneys general are also opposing ATF proposals that would make it easier to import some military-style firearm parts and weapons and eliminate requirements that gun dealers post warnings about restrictions on transferring handguns to people under 18.
Another proposed change would rescind an existing rule governing stabilizing braces without immediately replacing it. The coalition says that could create uncertainty over devices that can convert pistols into shoulder-fired weapons.
Several of the objections focus on law enforcement investigations.
The ATF is considering changes to Form 4473, the transaction record completed by federally licensed dealers when firearms are sold, including allowing non-government-issued documents as proof of residence and extending the validity of a background check from 30 days to two months.
Another proposal would require some firearms records now maintained indefinitely to be destroyed after 20 or 30 years. The attorneys general say those records can be essential to tracing firearms recovered in criminal investigations.
The coalition is also challenging a proposed change involving federal restrictions on firearm possession by people who have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
In discussing potential consequences of that change, the ATF’s own analysis states: “This risk may be minimal, or may be considerably greater (up to and including potential mass casualty events).”
The attorneys general separately opposed proposed changes involving regulations under the National Firearms Act, the 1934 federal law governing machine guns, silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns.
Davenport is co-leading the multistate effort with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and New York Attorney General Letitia James.