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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 20, 2023 09:09 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Steven J. Santarsiero and Sen. John I. Kane |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Assault Weapons Ban |
| There is one element in our society that rises above all others when identifying threats to the health and safety of Pennsylvanians: easy access to assault weapons. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines have repeatedly been used to commit some of the worst mass shootings in modern U.S. history, and they contribute to the daily toll of gun violence in communities around the Commonwealth. These military-style weapons have no place in civilian society. In 2013, after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which left 26 people dead, including 19 young children, states like Maryland, New York, and Connecticut enacted assault weapons bans and other common-sense solutions. Pennsylvania, in contrast, followed the example of Congress and took no meaningful action on gun control. Unlike many other states, Pennsylvania does not limit the type of weapon which a person may possess; both assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are legal to own in the Commonwealth. That is why we plan to introduce legislation that would enact an assault weapons ban in Pennsylvania. Our bill would mirror language that is very similar to what was enacted in Connecticut after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which is considered to be some of the toughest in the nation. Specifically, our bill will broaden the scoop of what the state classifies as assault weapons including banning more than 150 gun models. The legislation will also ban the sale of gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds, as well as provide for a voluntary buy-back program for individuals that currently own firearms that would now fall under this legislation. With each passing day that we fail to enact reasonable gun reforms, we are choosing to protect the gun lobby and firearm manufacturers over the lives of all Pennsylvanians. We hope you will join us in supporting this much needed measure. This is a reintroduction of SB 1300 of 2022, which was co-sponsored by the following Senators: Costa, Hughes, Tartaglione, Saval, Fontana, Kearney, Comitta, Cappelletti, Haywood, Collett, Muth, Schwank, Street, A. Williams, and Dillon. |
Introduced as SB200