Nov
30
Is Your Ammo Properly Encoded?
Sun, 11/30/2008 - 17:21
Below is a note I received from a friend. If this goes through what is to ensure that the government uses ammo that is encoded as well? Now I know why some folks I know keep saying, "invest in lead."
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The bill that is being pushed in 18 states (including Illinois and Indiana) requires all ammunition to be encoded by the manufacture a data base of
all ammunition sales. So they will know how much you buy and what calibers.
Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009 unless the ammunition is coded.
Any privately held uncoded ammunition must be destroyed by July 1, 2011. (Including handloaded ammo.) They will also charge a .05 cent tax on every round so every box of ammo you buy will go up at least $2.50 or more!
If they can deprive you of ammo they do not need to take your gun!
This legislation is currently pending in 18 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington.
To find more about the anti-gun group that is sponsoring this legislation and the specific legislation for each state, go to:
http://ammunitionaccountability.org/Legislation.htm
Ammunition Accountability Act
SAMPLE LEGISLATION
An ACT relating to firearms and ammunition; requiring [AGENCY] to
establish
a statewide
database to track coded ammunition manufactured and sold for handguns
and
assault rifles.
Section 1. Legislative Findings.
The State Legislature hereby finds the following:
Each year in the United States, more than 30% of all homicides that
involve
a gun go
unsolved.
Handgun ammunition accounts for 80% of all ammunition sold in the
United
States.
Current technology for matching a bullet used in a crime to the gun
that
fired it has
worked moderately well for years, but presupposes that the weapon was
recovered by
law enforcement.
Bullet coding is a new and effective way for law enforcement to
quickly
identify persons
of interest in gun crime investigations.
Section 2. Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, "coded ammunition" means a bullet
carrying a
unique identifier that has been applied by etching onto the base of
the
bullet projectile.
Section 3. Prohibition on possession or sale of non-coded ammunition.
1. All handgun and assault weapon ammunition manufactured or sold in
the
state after
January 1, 2009, shall be coded by the manufacturer.
a. The calibers covered by the coding requirement shall include: [LIST
CALIBERS].
2. No later than January 1, 2011, all non-coded ammunition for the
calibers
listed in this
chapter, whether owned by private citizens or retail outlets, must be
disposed.
Section 4. Authority to establish an Ammunition Coding Database.
1. [AGENCY] shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining an
Ammunition Coding
Database (ACD) containing the following information:
a. Manufacturer registry – Manufacturers shall:
i. Register with [AGENCY] in a manner prescribed by the department
through rule; and
ii. Maintain records on the business premises for a period of seven
years concerning all sales, loans, and transfers of ammunition, to,
from, or within the state.
b. Vendor registry – Vendors shall
i. Register with [AGENCY] in a manner prescribed by the department
through rule; and
ii. Record the following information in a format prescribed by the
[AGENCY]:
a. The date of the transaction.
b. The name of the transferee.
c. The purchaser's driver's license number or other
government issued identification card number
d. The date of birth of the purchaser.
e. The unique identifier of all handgun ammunition or
bullets transferred.
f. All other information prescribed by [AGENCY].
iii. Maintain records on the business premises for a period of three
years from the date of the recorded purchase.
2. To the greatest extent possible or practical, the ACD shall be
built
within the framework
of existing firearms databases. The ACD shall be operational no later
than
January 1,
2009.
3. Privacy of individuals is of the utmost importance. Access to
information
in the ACSD is
reserved for key law enforcement personnel and to be released only in
connection with a
criminal investigation.
NEW SECTION: Section 5. Penalties
1. Any vendor that willfully fails to comply with, or falsifies the
records
required to be kept
by this bill is guilty of a public offense punishable by imprisonment
not to
exceed one
year, and a fine of $1,000.
2. Any manufacturer that fails to comply with the provisions of this
section
shall be liable for
a civil fine of not more than one $1,000 for a first violation, not
more
than five $5,000 for
a second violation, and not more $10,000 for a third and subsequent
violation.
3. Any person who willfully destroys, obliterates, or otherwise
renders
unreadable, the
serialization required pursuant to this bill, on any bullet or
assembled
ammunition is
punishable by imprisonment not to exceed one year, and a fine of
$1,000.
NEW SECTION: Section 6. Funding.
1. Establishing and maintaining the ACD shall be funded by an end-
user fee
not to
exceed [COST NUMBER, ESTIMATED AT $0.005 PER BULLET OR ROUND
OF AMMUNITION].
2. There is hereby established the Coded Ammunition Fund for deposit
of the
enduser
fees described in this section. Moneys in the fund, upon
appropriation,
shall
be available to the [AGENCY] for infrastructure, implementation,
operational
enforcement, and future development costs of this chapter.
3. Ammunition manufacturers based within this state may submit a one-
time
tax
credit application for cost of purchasing ammunition coding
equipment. All
applications must be submitted by January 1, 2009.
-- END --
NOTE: To view a more detailed version of Ammunition Coding Database
legislation that was proposed in other
states, visit www.ammunitionaccountability.org. Gordon Thomas
Honeywell
Governmental Affairs can also
provide drafting guidance. Contact Briahna Taylor at (253) 620-6640 or
btaylor@...