Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act (Introduced in House)

HR 5073 IH


109th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5073
To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to require microstamping of all firearms manufactured in or imported into the United States, and ballistics testing of all firearms in the custody of the Federal Government.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 3, 2006
Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary


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A BILL
To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to require microstamping of all firearms manufactured in or imported into the United States, and ballistics testing of all firearms in the custody of the Federal Government.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act'.

SEC. 2. BAN ON MANUFACTURE OR IMPORTATION OF FIREARMS THAT ARE NOT MICROSTAMPED.

(a) License Revocation- Section 923(e) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the penultimate sentence the following: `The Attorney General shall, after notice and opportunity for hearing, revoke the license of an importer who imports into the United States a firearm that is not microstamped, or the license of a manufacturer who manufactures a firearm that is not microstamped or a microstamped firearm that does not transfer the array of characters constituting the microstamp onto the cartridge case of any ammunition fired from the firearm .'.

(b) Definition of Microstamped- Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(36) The term `microstamped' means, with respect to a firearm , that etched into the interior surface or internal working parts of the firearm is an array of characters which identify the make, model, and serial number of the firearm .'.

SEC. 3. BALLISTICS TESTING OF CRIME GUNS; COMPUTERIZATION OF RECORDS.

(a) In General- Section 923 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(m)(1) The Attorney General shall conduct ballistics testing of any firearm in the custody of the Federal Government if there is reason to believe that the firearm has been involved in a crime under Federal or State law, and establish an electronic database containing records of the results of the testing.

`(2) The Attorney General shall establish a computer system through which State and local law enforcement agencies can promptly access the ballistics records stored under this subsection.

`(3) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report regarding the implementation of this subsection, including--

`(A) the number of Federal and State criminal investigations, arrests, indictments, and prosecutions of all cases in which access to ballistics records, provided through the system established under this section and under similar systems operated by any State, served as a valuable investigative tool in the prosecution of crimes involving firearms; and

`(B) the extent to which ballistics records are accessible across jurisdictions.

`(4) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009, to carry out this subsection.'.

(b) Definition of Ballistics- Section 921(a) of such title, as amended by section 2(b) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(37) The term `ballistics' means a comparative analysis of fired bullets and cartridge casings to identify the firearm from which bullets and cartridge casings have been discharged, through identification of the unique markings that the firearm imprints on cartridge casings of ammunition fired from the firearm .'.

Great, now when they check the microstamp out they can confirm that the weapon comes back as stolen and used by a gang member.

Aside from the overall general stupidity of this bill, this would put a serious crimp in the milsurp market.

Not too many 'microstamped' Mosin-Nagants running around out there.

O’ sure that well reduce crime. We just need to convince those law abiding criminals to turn in there guns in exchange for micro steamed ones. Not to mention the cost to due all the ballistics testing.

Quoted: Aside from the overall general stupidity of this bill, this would put a serious crimp in the milsurp market. Not too many 'microstamped' Mosin-Nagants running around out there.

Couldn't it just be a requirement for any more imported surplus firearms to be microstamped when they get here?

Even California decided this was a stupid idea.  There's probably a reason for that.

why is this "Mr. Andrews" not being tarred and feathered as we post...?

Whats gonna keep me from filling and polishing the number out? I ain't got any dogs for them to shoot.

Who would want to disassemble entire lots of 91/30s for the lovely job of etching each of the components?

It sucks that most of my milsurps bear imports stamps. Microstamping will push the price of milsurps up when additional labor has to go in and do all the extra work. Say good bye to $60 M44s.

They just can't help themselves can they?

Who is this Andrews douchbag?

Maryland has a form of this legislation in place, namely a fired-casing (from the factory) requirement  for new handguns sold in the state.  After three years in place I don't think it has solved a single crime.  The state police who run the program even lobby to have it repealed as a waste of resources.  To the tune of about two million a year.

Of course solving crime was never its intent - because very few manufacturers are willing to supply a fired case with their handguns - it has amounted to a de facto ban.

tag

Any criminal stupid enough to use a legally bought gun that prints the serial number on the empty case would be caught anyway. The real purpose of all this, and the mandatory smart guns, and the mandatory safety features is to make guns too expensive to produce.

The obvious next step is to ban all of the 280 million guns already out there without microstamping, since there is no reason to have a dangerous antique that could be used in a crime...

i try to never underestimate congress' ability to fuck up, but i dont think this is going to fly

another useless law designed to harass legal gun owners. Without firearm registration all this will do is send the cops to break down the door of the original firearm purchaser. Which we all know criminals do not buy their guns directly from a FFL themselves

Quoted: They just can't help themselves can they?

Nope, It must be a disorder, like retardation

Guess this fuckstick never heard of a Dremel tool.

Dear Mr. Andrews,

Rather than punish law abiding US Citizens, how about controlling our borders instead.

signed,

NeedMoreAmmo

Kill it with FIRE!!!

no provision for home-builts either.

So say goodbye to making your own ARs or rebuilding anything from a kit.  Good thing it doesn't have a change of passing on its own.

Quoted: Who is this Andrews douchbag?

You may not know WHO is is, but you hit WHAT he is right on the money.

He's just another home grown Jersey jerkoff, I'm embarassed to admit.

http://www.house.gov/andrews/

Look at that clown. Would you bet money that he DIDN'T have a NAMBLA card in the back of his wallet ?