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Pennsylvania State Senate
06/12/2024 05:36 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=S&cosponId=38821
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 19, 2022 03:37 PM
From: Senator Jimmy Dillon and Sen. Vincent J. Hughes
To: All Senate members
Subject: Increased Penalties for Firearm "Straw Purchasers"
 
In the near future, Sen. Hughes and I will be introducing legislation to create an offense for the illegal attempt to purchase a firearm.  Our bill amends the Uniform Firearms Act to provide for situations when a person intentionally makes false statements on their application to purchase or carry a firearm, commonly referred to as “Straw Purchases.”

Across Pennsylvania, we are facing critical levels of gun violence and a record number of firearm-related fatalities.  We must act now to prevent the flow of firearms being illegally purchased and sold in our communities. 

Our bill provides for situations where a person knowingly prohibited from possessing, using, selling, controlling, transferring, or manufacturing a firearm attempts to perform one of these actions while also increasing the penalty to be a second-degree felony.

The legislation would increase penalties for false statements on an application for a permit to carry or a document related to the purchase or delivery of a firearm.  Penalties would increase to become a third-degree felony for the first offense and a second-degree felony for subsequent offenses with a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison.

Lastly, we will increase penalties for false statements made on an application related to Section18 Pa.C.S. §4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities) to ensure this section is consistent with the other changes made by this bill.

Senate Bill 489 of 2020-21 was previously sponsored by Sen. Hughes and Sen. Sabatina and previous co-sponsors included Sens. Kearney, Fontana, Santarsiero, Tartaglione, Costa, Comitta, Cappelletti and Haywood.

This legislation has one purpose, which is to reduce the number of illegal firearms in our communities in order to protect lives. 

Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation.


Introduced as SB695