Gun Control Legislation

"This report also includes discussion of other salient and recurring gun control issues that have
generated past or current congressional interest. Those issues include (1) screening firearms
background check applicants against terrorist watch lists, (2) combating gun trafficking and straw
purchases, (3) reforming the regulation of federally licensed gun dealers, (4) requiring
background checks for private firearms transfers at gun shows, (5) more-strictly regulating certain
firearms previously defined in statute as “semiautomatic assault weapons,” and (6) banning or
requiring the registration of certain long-range .50 caliber rifles, which are commonly referred to
as “sniper” rifles. To set these and other emerging issues in context, this report provides basic
firearms-related statistics, an overview of federal firearms law, and a summary of legislative
action in the 111th and 112th Congresses..."