The "Bolstering Security Against Ghost Guns Act" requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement strategies to address the threats posed by ghost guns, including assessing cross-border trafficking, conducting research, and sharing information with law enforcement agencies.
Bennie Thompson
Representative
MS-2
The "Bolstering Security Against Ghost Guns Act" directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement strategies to counter threats posed by ghost guns. This includes assessing cross-border trafficking, researching prevention methods, tracking firearm violations at TSA checkpoints, analyzing data on U.S.-sourced firearms recovered in Mexico, and evaluating threats associated with foreign terrorist organizations. The Act aims to enhance prevention, preparedness, and response to terrorism and violence involving ghost guns.
DHS Mandated to Tackle Ghost Gun Threats: New Strategy and Reports Due Within a Year
This legislation, the "Bolstering Security Against Ghost Guns Act," directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to get a comprehensive grip on threats posed by untraceable firearms, often called "ghost guns." It mandates the creation of a department-wide strategy within one year to improve how the agency prevents, prepares for, and responds to dangers like terrorism or targeted violence linked to these weapons. The bill doesn't impose new rules on gun owners directly, but sets up a framework for federal agencies to study and strategize around ghost guns.
Mapping the Ghost Gun Landscape
The core of the bill involves tasking various DHS components with research and reporting. Within 180 days, intelligence officials, working with border agencies like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), need to produce a threat assessment specifically looking at U.S.-sourced ghost guns crossing borders, particularly those used by criminal organizations. Simultaneously, another 180-day report must assess the homeland security threats from ghost guns potentially linked to foreign terrorist groups or individuals planning terrorism or targeted violence. The Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center also gets a year to research and issue public guidance on dealing with these threats. Even the TSA gets involved, required to report annually on firearms found at checkpoints, specifically tracking incidents involving ghost guns.
Connecting the Dots: Data and Strategy
Beyond individual reports, the act pushes for better coordination and analysis. ICE, for instance, is tasked with analyzing data on U.S.-sourced firearms recovered in Mexico, researching ways to share this information effectively across federal agencies, and developing metrics to measure how well ICE is combating illicit cross-border firearm activities – all within a year. This data collection and analysis feeds into the central requirement: the development of that overarching DHS strategy within one year. The idea seems to be to move from scattered information to a unified understanding and plan for addressing security risks associated with firearms lacking serial numbers, defined in the bill by referencing existing federal regulations for "ghost gun" and "partially complete frame or receiver."