A federal judge in Washington D.C. has rejected a lawsuit that challenged new requirements for firearms dealers in Texas and other border states to report the names of customers who buy two or more semiautomatic rifles.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Rifle Association backed the firearms dealers’ lawsuit, stating it violates the privacy rights of gun owners.
The federal requirements began last summer in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
They require dealers in those states — 8,700 of them, says the NRA — to identify the gun purchasers on a form that is to be sent within five days to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Department of Justice officials said the rules would help stem the flow of semiautomatic weapons with detachable magazines to violent Mexican drug cartels.
In announcing the rules, however, a deputy attorney general did not distinguish between weapons such as AR-15s, the civilian versions of the M-16, and various semiautomatic sporting arms.
An example would be the Remington 750, which is sold with a low-capacity magazine.
Gun dealers immediately sued to have the rules eliminated, claiming they exceed ATF’s authority.
On Friday, however, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer, threw out the lawsuit.
According to media reports, the judge stated that the rules are reasonable and they don’t disrupt the balance between law enforcement and the privacy rights of gun owners.
NSSF vowed to appeal the judge’s decision.
“While we understand ATF’s motivation is to try to curtail violence in Mexico, Congress simply has not granted ATF regulatory carte blanche,” the group said in statement. “NSSF looks forward to having the Court of Appeals review the district court’s flawed decision.”
Meanwhile, the NSSF urged its members to “cooperate with law enforcement and report any suspicious activity to the ATF.”
“Members of the firearms industry take great pride in their longstanding cooperative relationship with ATF,” the group said.
The NRA, said the requirements are part of the “Obama/Holder Gun Registration Scheme.” It urged its members to support Senate Bill 570, which would “prohibit the use of federal money needed to fund the multiple sales reporting requirement.”
