Below the Radar: Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act

New York – -(AmmoLand.com)- We have been discussing a number of bills introduced in Congress that are often below the radar of Second Amendment supporters for various reasons. Sometimes, they are not given a lot of press. Other times, they simply seem insignificant. They may not even target our rights directly.

One piece of legislation under the “not a lot of press” category is S 1519, the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act of 2019. This is legislation introduced by two Second Amendment champions, Senators Charles Grassley of Iowa and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Unlike a lot of the other legislation we have covered, this bill is much more comprehensive. In it, we have fixes to the National Instant Check System, we have something close to the FOPA improvement for travelers introduced by Senator Daines, we have efforts to tackle straw purchases, the expansion of Project Exile, and a host of other provisions that represent significant improvements for those who exercise their Second Amendment rights – or who might wish to do so.

According to a release by Senator Grassley’s office, he and Senator Cruz have been pushing this bill since 2013. That year, when these provisions were introduced as an alternative to anti-Second Amendment legislation favored by the Obama Administration, these provisions secured 52 votes in the Senate, being defeated by a filibuster carried out by anti-Second Amendment extremists.

“Our bill takes necessary steps to ensure that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is not infringed and takes commonsense actions to prioritize school safety, punish and deter bad actors, and improve record submissions to NICS. Senator Cruz and I have worked diligently on this bill in the past, and I look forward to this continued partnership,” Grassley said in the release.

In a statement released by his office, Senator Cruz said, “Our bill seeks to increase support for school safety funding, ensure agencies accurately submit records to the NICS, and develop a federal task force to prosecute criminals who illegally purchase a firearm. I urge my Senate colleagues to take a stand with the people of our country and to vote in support of this legislation to stop criminals from getting guns once and for all.”

One other benefit of this bill is that it would not be hard to add additional pro-Second Amendment provisions to it – like Lindsey Graham’s Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2019, the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act, or HR 5301 by Kevin Hern. Those would make this bill even better than it already is.

Second Amendment supporters should contact their Representative and Senators and politely ask that they support S 1519, as well as amendments that would add HR 5301, the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act, and the Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act to this bill. They also should take the time to thank Senators Grassley and Cruz for their efforts over the last seven years to advance this legislation. This legislation would mark a huge step towards the protection of our rights if signed into law.