Blackburn’s bill would stiffen penalties for firearm thefts from federally licensed dealers

Legislation recently proposed by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and several of her Republican colleagues would ramp up penalties for criminals who steal firearms from federally licensed firearms and ammunition dealers.

“No one wants a firearm to end up in the hands of a criminal,” Sen. Blackburn said. “Stiffening the penalties for those who steal firearms from federally licensed retailers will ensure accountability and make our communities safer.”

Sen. Blackburn on June 8 cosponsored the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act of 2023, S. 1907, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to address the high number of what are known as “smash-and-grab” thefts, which target federally licensed gun dealers, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

“I am proud to reintroduce this important legislation to make smash-and-grabs more costly for criminals,” said Sen. Graham. “I believe in responsible gun ownership — not criminals stealing firearms.”

Among the 21 other lawmakers who joined Sen. Blackburn as an original cosponsor of the legislation are U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

If enacted, S. 1907 would increase the statutory maximum penalty for knowingly stealing any firearm in an FFL’s business inventory from 10 to 20 years; impose a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for burglary from an FFL and five years for robbery from an FFL; and criminalize the attempted theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector, the summary says.

The measure is the identical bill to the same-named, bipartisan H.R. 2620, introduced on April 13 by U.S. Reps. John Rutherford (R-FL) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) in the U.S. House.

The bill is supported by the National Sports Shooting Foundation.