Bill would eliminate requirement to identify race in gun purchases

Republican Reps. Diane Black (Tenn.) and Ted Poe (Texas) have introduced legislation to eliminate the requirement for individuals to identify their race when filing paperwork to buy a gun.

Black and Poe said the requirement was overly personal and not needed for gun purchases.

{mosads}”Washington bureaucrats have no business requiring citizens who are lawfully purchasing firearms to disclose their race or ethnicity,” Poe said. “As long as the gun is purchased lawfully, race or ethnicity should be irrelevant.”

Black said the legislation would help ensure that gun sellers are not penalized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) if customers leave the racial identification section of the form blank. 

“Failing to adhere to this requirement by not checking all of the correct boxes on the 4473 Form is considered an ATF violation that can be so severe as to result in the gun dealer being shut down for having incomplete purchaser forms,” Black said. “This is causing a headache for many firearms retailers and this commonsense legislation would simply stop the federal government from requiring businesses and consumers to comply with this ‘race and ethnicity standard.’ ”