Thirty years after the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 (a ban that expired in 2004), a gun control law has come into effect in the United States.

President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law on June 25, 2022, in a televised event.

In a country where the subject of gun ownership could easily become contentious and political, two mass shootings in quick succession, one at a store in Buffalo, NY, on May 14, and another at Robb Elementary School at Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, led to a notable change.

Following ‘give and take’ discussions between the Democrats and Republicans, on June 23, Bill S.2938 (a bill to which the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was made an amendment) passed the US Senate by 65–33. On June 24, the bill cleared the House of Representatives by 234-193, making its way to the White House. Fifteen Senators and Fourteen Representatives from the Republican Party have voted alongside the Democrats.

How stringent is the new Gun Control law?

In the words of US President Biden, he did not get all he wanted, but it had some of the things he wanted, and it could save lives. He went on to explain what the new law would do.

The law mandates extensive background checks for those aged 18-21.

It provides funding for implementing red flag laws and crisis intervention programs in states and for the mental health of the survivors of gun violence.

The so-called boyfriend loophole is also closed with the new law. The boyfriend loophole refers to abusers of partners, whether men or women, taking advantage of the difference between state and federal laws to access firearms.

The law makes straw purchases and gun trafficking a distinct federal crime. (A straw purchase is when a customer buys the weapon for someone else)

The law clarifies who needs to register as a federally licensed gun dealer.