Chairman Thompson Commends ATF for Action on Ghost Guns


Press Release

Posted:

Napa – Today, Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steve Dettelbach for releasing guidance on the agency’s Ghost Gun rulemaking.

“Ghost guns are sought out by criminals and other people prohibited from purchasing a firearm because these untraceable weapons could be sold without a background check,” said Thompson. “I commend ATF Director Dettelbach for releasing a guidance letter to industry which will provide clarification about how the ghost gun rule will be enforced to ensure that frames and receivers have a serial number and require a background check to be sold.”

The ATF’s ghost gun guidance letter follows action by the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to urge the ATF to provide clear guidance and vigorously enforce the rule cracking down on the illegal sale of ghost guns. Prior to the release of this guidance, some ghost gun retailers sought to evade the ghost gun rule by selling frames and receivers separate from the easily accessible tools and parts needed to complete the firearm.

In December, Chairman Thompson met with Director Dettelbach to discuss gun violence prevention issues including the implementation of the ghost gun rule. In October Thompson led a letter to the ATF signed by 135 members of Congress on the ghost gun rule implementation. Read the letter here.

Read the ATF’s December 27, 2022 guidance letter here.