Buckeye Reporter

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has raised concerns over the Biden administration's new rule through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), which redefines who is considered a firearms "dealer" under U.S. law. According to the NRA, this rule threatens to turn numerous law-abiding citizens into criminals for exercising their constitutional rights.

The NRA criticized the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which made changes to the standards for when a person is considered "engaged in the business" of dealing in firearms. The removal of a single word from the federal statute has now resulted in a 466-page rule that expands the definition of a firearm "dealer."

The Biden administration's rule has been described as a move towards implementing "universal background checks" for firearm sales. The administration aims to regulate private gun sales by requiring them to go through federally licensed dealers. The NRA warned that this rule could lead to interference with constitutional freedoms and potentially pave the way for large-scale registration and confiscation of firearms.

The ATF's new rule includes "rebuttable presumptions" to determine when a firearm seller is engaged in the business of dealing firearms. These presumptions are meant for civil or administrative proceedings but may also have implications in criminal cases, raising concerns about the lack of clarity in the rule's application.

Despite pushback and calls for federal legislation to disallow the rule, its passage faces challenges in the current Congress. The NRA anticipates a lengthy legal battle in federal courts over the rule, highlighting the administration's commitment to gun control at taxpayers' expense.

In conclusion, the NRA views the ATF's new rule as a threat to the rights of law-abiding gun owners and a step towards increased government control over private firearm sales.