<div><table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="5">Pascrell and Davis Re-introduce Gun</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4">Violence Prevention and Safe</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4">Communities Act</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Feb 28, 2018 | Press Release</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Danny</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">K. Davis (D-IL-07) re-introduced</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>,</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5">which aims to combat gun violence through increased federal taxes on guns and</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td colspan="3">The Gun Violence Prev ntion and Safe Communities Act</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">ammunition and by closing tax and regulatory loopholes on some of the most popular and</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">deadly firearms.</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5">The excise taxes on guns and ammunition have not changed since 1919 and 1941,</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">respectively. Through the Act, increased federal taxes on guns and ammunition would</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">provide stable revenue to fund enforcement of existing gun laws and violence prevention</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">efforts. Prominent public health researchers advocate such an approach, which draws on</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5">the success that increased taxes on tobacco have had on decreasing smoking.</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">The Act would direct an estimated $714 million in new revenue to programs designed to</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">make communities safer and reduce violence, including: Project Safe Neighborhood Grants;</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">Community-Oriented Policing Grants; Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">Grants; research into the causes and prevention of gun violence via the Center for Disease</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">Control’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; the National Criminal History</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">Improvement Program; the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Record</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">Improvement Program; and grants to encourage schools to improve school climate and</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">engagement.</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act was first introduced in 2015, but</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">the Republican House never acted on it. Following a slew of devastating attacks, most</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">recently at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Reps. Pascrell and</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4">Davis felt it was imperative to reintroduce the bill.</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">“Gun violence is tearing our nation apart. Congress needs to act now. This bill would be a</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>good start,”</td> <td> </td> <td colspan="4">, co-Chair of the House Law Enforcement Caucus and a</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">member of the Ways and Means Committee. “After decades of inaction, raising the tax on</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td>said Rep. Pascrell</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">firearms would provide an offset to the massive cost to society of gun violence, just as taxes</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">on alcohol and tobacco have done. This legislation will also provide critical resources to our</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">badly strapped state and local police forces, community anti-violence programs, and gun</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">violence research. This bill would be a down payment on safeguarding our children, our</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="5">communities, and our future. It would provide a rare win-win for all parties.”</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="6">“Gun violence in America has reached epidemic proportions and we cannot, as a nation, any</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4">longer tolerate the on-going social and economic costs of inaction,”</td> <td>said Rep. Davis</td> <td>. “Gun</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   violence is a daily reality for America and, in particular, for urban cities like Chicago. The crisis should outrage us all. This legislation is a pro-active approach to reducing gun violence by using proven preventive programs which have been starved for funds until now. As part of a comprehensive, multidimensional strategy to reduce gun violence, this legislation closes major loopholes in tax law and lays out an equitable, long term, sustainable strategy to provide the requisite resources.”   In addition to the tragic human loss, gun violence exacts a tremendous price from our citizens, our governments, and the public health of our nation. Recent research demonstrates that firearm injury costs the United States over $214 billion annually, with over $12 billion of this loss born by state, federal and local governments. Given that these numbers only include costs post injury and not costs associated with preventing gun violence such as increased law enforcement and community intervention programs, these figures dramatically underestimate the true cost of gun violence to government. Remarkably, 65% of all costs to government are for intentionally-inflicted homicide or assault. The University of Chicago Crime Lab estimates that gun violence costs the City of Chicago $2.5 billion a year alone. Despite the high cost of gun violence, current federal taxes on guns and ammunition yielded only $ 749 million in 2016. In contrast, federal taxes on alcohol and cigarettes yielded $8 billion and $13.3 billion.   This legislation has been endorsed by: the Major Cities Chiefs Association; the Violence Policy Center; the Council of the Great City Schools; and the Newtown Action Alliance. Details on the Act and relevant statistics can be viewed here.   The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act Increases the excise taxes on pistols and revolvers from 10% to 20%, the excise tax on firearms from 11% to 20%, and the excise tax on ammunition from 11% to 50%; Closes the loophole that allows manufacturers of one of the most popular firearms to avoid excise tax by applying the tax to the lower frame or receiver of assault-type weapons designed to accommodate interchangeable upper receivers - such as the AR-15 lower. The excise tax is currently limited to complete guns, thereby allowing manufacturers of AR-15 lowers to bypass the excise tax. The AR-15 lower is a complete gun for the purposes of the Gun Control Act; can be made a complete gun by attaching an upper using just two pins; is one of the popular guns sold; is extremely dangerous as evidenced by its ability to chamber a mid-size rifle round capable of penetrating the ballistic armor worn by most police officers and its use in multiple mass shootings; and sells for more than $250. Thus, this firearm is highly dangerous and merits inclusion as a firearm for purposes of the excise tax. Maintains the current tax-free status of state and local governments and expands the tax exemption for the Department of Defense to all U.S. government agencies. Directs an estimated $714 million in new funds raised by this Act to programs designed to make communities safer and reduce violence, including: Project Safe Neighborhood Grants; Community-Oriented Policing Grants; Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative Grants; research into the causes and prevention of gun violence via the Center for Disease Control's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; the National Criminal History Improvement Program; the NICS Record Improvement Program; and grants to schools and districts to implement comprehensive, evidence-based discipline systems to improve school climate. Increases the special occupational tax on importers, manufacturers, and dealers of firearms subject to the National Firearms Act to align with inflation based on the last increase in 1988. This change raises the current rates of $500 to $1000 and from $1000 to $2000. Closes the loophole on quasi-assault-rifle pistols by including them in the definition of “firearm” under the National Firearms Act, thereby subjecting them to the same requirements as other firearms (i.e., transferor must file an application to register under the National Firearms Act, more thorough background check required, and recipient must pay a transfer tax). The pistol versions of the AR-15 and the AK-47 adopt the military design of detachable magazines and are chambered as a mid-size rifle; however, given that they lack shoulder stocks and have barrels shorter than 16 inches, they technically are handguns and are not subject to the National Firearms Act. These assault-type weapons are extremely dangerous, consistent with the lethality and dangerousness of weapons covered by the National Firearms Act, and are appropriate for the additional regulation provided by the National Firearms Act. Increases the transfer tax on firearms covered under the National Firearms Act that are currently subject to a $200 transfer fee set in the 1934 to $500, indexing the transfer tax to inflation post enactment. Had the original tax been indexed to inflation, the current fee would be $3538. Increases the transfer tax for weapons under the "any other weapon" category from $5 to $100 (and index to inflation) to better cover the enforcement and processing costs to the ATF for this category of weapon. Excise Tax Enacted Date and Value Date Changed Date Last Changed Value Proposed by Davis-Pascrell Bill Pistols and Revolvers 10% in 1919 11% in 1941; 10% in 1955 1955 20% Other Firearms 10% in 1919 11% in 1941 1941 20% Shells and Cartridges 10% in 1919 11% in 1941 1941 50% Special Occupational Taxes on Firearms NFA $200/$500 in 1934 $500/$1000 in 198S 19SS $1000/$2,000 and indexed to inflation Transfer Tax on Firearms under NFA $200 in 1934 n/a 1934 $500 and indexed to inflation Transfer Tax on Any Other Weapon $200 in 1934 $5 in 1960 1960 $100 and indexed to inflation</div>

Lawmakers Announce Bill to Increase Excise Taxes on Guns, Ammo

Lawmakers Announce Bill to Increase Excise Taxes on Guns, Ammo

U.S. House of Representatives

The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act would “combat gun violence through increased federal taxes on guns and ammunition and by closing tax and regulatory loopholes” on some firearms, House Ways and Means Committee members Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., and Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., said in a February 28 release.

The Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act would “combat gun violence through increased federal taxes on guns and ammunition and by closing tax and regulatory loopholes” on some firearms, House Ways and Means Committee members Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., and Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., said in a February 28 release.