Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) introduced legislation Tuesday called the Federal Agent Responsibility Act that would prohibit these actions. It was co-introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA).
Good’s press release confirmed his worry that the controversial stabilizer brace rule may “open the door for increased coordination between the ATF and local agents to perform no-knock warrants on law-abiding gun owners.” He cited the act as the best path forward to block such practices.
The representative denounced attempts from Washington to “weaponize” federal agencies and target “the rights of all Americans.”
Good asserted that “law-abiding gun owners in my district and across the country should not live in fear that federal agents will come knocking at their door to confiscate their guns.” He added that the measure would “ensure no-knock raids are not exploited to violate the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.”
The proposed statute carved out an exemption for situations where federal officers enter a dwelling “due to a risk or threat of risk of a serious, imminent life-threatening injury” to officers or other innocents.
The legislation is another effort by gun rights advocates to push back against the serious overreach enacted recently by the federal government. The stabilizing braces, also known as pistol arm braces, are now regulated by the ATF.
The agency reclassified handguns that utilize these attachments as short-barreled rifles, which means they now require a federal license under the National Firearms Act (NFA). These devices were originally produced to ensure disabled veterans would still be able to enjoy sport shooting.
The stabilizing brace rule was a key component of a sweeping gun crime strategy unveiled by the White House in April 2021 after the mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. Ten people died in the attack by a gunman who used a firearm with a brace.
The new ATF rule was finalized on Jan. 13 and published on Jan. 31. It changed the category for braced pistols presumably because the accessory is believed to make them more accurate. The administration accused the gun industry of working around federal regulations by selling the braces and essentially creating short-barreled rifles.
That led to the new ATF pistol brace guidance, and the change has not gone over well with the shooting public.
The National Rifle Association, the nation’s largest and oldest gun rights group, is spearheading the effort to head off the ATF at the pass. In a federal lawsuit, the organization challenged the ATF’s change as “arbitrary” and demonstrative of an “abuse of power.”
Jason Ouimet, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, explained that “the bureau is declaring that they will effectively decide on a case-by-case basis whether a firearm is subject to the NFA. Every American gun owner is in danger of potentially facing felony charges at the whim of these bureaucrats and without any new statute in place.”
The NRA’s legal action was joined by SB Tactical, B&T USA, Wounded Warrior Richard Cicero, and the attorneys general of no less than 25 states.
There are an estimated 10 to 40 million stabilizing braces currently in circulation. Under the new ATF rule, gun owners must register firearms equipped with the accessories with ATF or else remove or surrender the firearm to the agency.
Those who do not comply face large fines and up to 10 years in prison.
