S-47, the DeConcini gun bill passes the senate judiciary committee

Shooting Industry, Sept, 1989 by Jim Schneider

S-747, The DeConcini Gun Bill Passes The Senate Judiciary Committee

Are you getting the feeling these days that in the future you may have fewer types of firearms to sell? Recent events in Washington seem to indicate you are correct--and that the number of guns on the prohibited list may continue to grow.

On July 7, the Bush Administration ordered that the temporary import suspension on 50 semiautomatic firearms be made permanent on 43 of the guns. Then 13 days later, the Senate Judiciary Committee surprised even most of its members when it passed a modified version of the DeConcini Gun Bill, S-747, which would ban nine specific types of guns.

"Everybody thought we had a done deal that was going to keep anything from getting out of Judiciary Committee," noted Nancy Norell, a legislative aide on the gun issue to Sen. James McClure (R-ID). Although not a member of the Judiciary Committee, McClure is the recognized leader of the pro-gun forces in the U.S. Senate and has threatened to filibuster any anti-gun bill that goes to the floor.

The watered-down version of S-747 that emerged from the Senate Judiciary Committee defines as "assault weapons" the following:

"Norinco, Mitchell and Poly

Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all

models)",

"Action Arms Israeli Military

Industries UZI and Galil";

"Beretta AR-70 (SC-70)";

"Colt AR-15 and CAR-15";

"Fabrique Nationale FN/FAL, FN/LAR

and FNC";

"MAC 10 and MAC 11";

"Steyr AUG";

"INTRATEC TEC-9"; and

"Street Sweeper and Striker 12."

Under the bill, it would be illegal to transfer, transport, ship, receive or possess any of these firearms that were not legally owned before the law went into effect.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, could recommend to Congress additions and deletions to the list. However, they would not have any authority to make changes without legislation.

S-747 permits the continued ownership and future transfer of any of the prohibited firearms owned prior to the effective date of the bill, provided that both the buyers and sellers, whether dealers or private individuals, retain copies of BATF Form 4473 as an official bill of sale or record of disposition. These records are to be retained by the by the individuals and do not need to be sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) or any other agency.

Part of the implementation of this bill would fall on your shoulders as a dealer because it would require current owners of these guns to obtain a 4473 from a dealer within 90 days of the issuance of the regulations. Reportedly, future regulations may require you to furnish 4473's to such individuals.

Jack Lenzi of the National Rifle Association noted that, "This would be the first time the government has required private citizens to keep firearms records."

DeConcini's modified bill includes mandatory penalties for anyone using the banned firearms in crimes of violence or drug trafficking.

The bill calls for an 18-month study of its impact on crime to begin one year after it becomes effective. Finally, it includes a sunset provision which wipes most of the law off the books after three years.

How this "done deal" to keep any bill from coming out of committee came undone in one of the most bizarre stories in the history of the Judiciary Committee. Cramped in a hot, crowded hearing room in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, committee members clearly were busily conferring before the meeting began.

As the meeting began, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) told Biden that he would not be present for the whole session because he was vice chairman of the committee involved in the impeachment proceedings for U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings. Specter indicated he might be back but couldn't be sure.

Biden then asked Specter if he were giving a proxy to Thurmond, but the Pennsylvania Republican said he didn't want to do that. Biden then jokingly offered to accept Specter's proxy.

"Oh, no," Specter said. "You'll get me in trouble." Those words proved prophetic.

The committee first considered an attempt by Sen. Thurmond to substitute the Bush Administration's crime bill, S-1225, for the gun legislation. (The "large clip" prohibition had been removed from the Administration's proposal at that point.)

Biden moved, according to a preannounced agreement, to table the Thurmond bill, saying he would hold hearings on it later and would be offering his own comprehensive crime package. The motion to table carried by an 8-5 straight party line vote.

The real shock came on the modified version of the DeConcini Bill. As staffers for pro-gun Sen. Hatch were urgently attempting to get Specter to return, Hatch himself was charging that the S-747 proposed national registration for the firearms covered under it.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), spoke about the shortcomings of DeConcini's bill. Leahy praised gun ownership and urged increased penalties and a crime tax to deal with drugs and violent crime.

The vote for passage was 7-6 with everyone waiting for Sen. Specter to return and cast the tying vote, which would have kept the bill in committee. Everyone kept asking, "Where's Specter?"