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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 19, 2019 10:19 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Melissa L. Shusterman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Raising the Age to Purchase a Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle to 21 |
| Despite a lengthy history of violence, 19 year old Nikolas Cruz was able to legally purchase a semi-automatic assault rifle, similar to the firearms that have been used in nearly every major mass shooting in recent years. Then, on February 14, 2018, he used that semi-automatic assault rifle to end 17 innocent lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Nikolas Cruz was not old enough to purchase alcohol thanks to state laws keeping alcohol out of the hands of those still developing physically, emotionally and intellectually and potentially not thinking about long-term consequences. However, he was able to legally purchase a semi-automatic assault rifle capable of inflicting mass casualties. We cannot sit idly by as mass shootings continue to put our children’s lives at risk. My legislation would prohibit the sale of a semi-automatic assault rifle to children under 21. In order to balance the interests of these children to be able to hunt and shoot for sport and the state’s interest in preventing mass shootings, my legislation will only apply to assault rifles capable of holding more than five rounds of ammunition. Please join me in protecting our children and all Pennsylvanians from the threat of mass shootings. |
Introduced as HB1857