DOJ says it won
The Justice Department said Friday it will no longer enforce certain National Firearms Act requirements for short-barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers, and other covered weapons.
The rules had required people to obtain federal approval before making or transferring those firearms. The law was enacted in 1934 to regulate concealable weapons associated with organized crime.
In August, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix found most restrictions on the weapons unconstitutional after Congress removed a $200 tax on them. The ruling followed lawsuits by 15 states and gun-rights organizations and individuals.
The court order formally covered only the parties in the cases, but its language complicated prosecutions. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives now says it will not apply the challenged provisions to anyone for domestic manufacture, possession, or transfer of covered weapons.
President Trump had directed the Justice Department not to appeal the Texas ruling, CBS News reported last month. The department’s new guidance puts that decision into effect nationwide; the article does not describe any further court action.
Key points
- Federal agencies will stop requiring approval for certain covered firearms and transfers.
- A Texas judge found most relevant restrictions unconstitutional after Congress removed the $200 tax.
- The ruling followed challenges from 15 states and gun-rights groups; Trump had directed DOJ not to appeal.