John—
Big news: The Supreme Court upheld a lifesaving rule on ghost guns.
This week, the Court ruled in Bondi v. VanDerStok that ghost gun kits are legally firearms—meaning companies that sell them must have a license to sell guns, must put a serial number on them, and must perform background checks—just like every other company selling guns. This critical rule will help stop the flood of ghost guns from its source.
Ghost guns have been the gun industry’s way of skirting commonsense gun laws and arming dangerous people. Because they were made from intentionally unfinished parts, the companies selling them claimed they could avoid typical gun regulations—like a serial number or a background check—while selling easy to assemble, fully functioning guns.
For years, GIFFORDS Law Center has sounded the alarm on the threat posed by ghost guns. Then, in 2022, the Biden administration issued a rule to address the proliferation of these untraceable guns. The new rule defined kits used to make ghost guns as firearms, making them subject to the same regulations as every other gun. Many ghost gun and gun lobby companies sued to stop the rule from being implemented, and the Supreme Court heard oral arguments last October.
Our experts at GIFFORDS Law Center are thrilled the Supreme Court has upheld the ATF rule that treats ghost guns as what they are: guns. We advocated tirelessly to demonstrate the dangers of ghost guns, and GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety submitted an amicus brief to the Court arguing in support of the rule. And this isn’t the first time we’ve been involved in a critical ghost gun case—our litigation has forced ghost gun suppliers to stop selling their products in Philadelphia, California, and elsewhere.
The Supreme Court’s decisions to hold ghost gun kit sales to reasonable safety standards shows that victories for common sense and public safety are not just broadly popular, but within reach.
Gratefully,
David
PS: Donate to GIFFORDS Law Center today to support our work in the courts fighting ghost guns and other dangerous gun industry priorities.
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David Pucino
Legal Director & Deputy Chief Counsel
GIFFORDS Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
