Prompted by Constituent’s Death, Rep. Mullin Introduces Bill to Designate Lethal Airguns as Firearms

Washington, D.C. - Modern airguns can be powerful enough to cause serious injury or death, yet face far fewer safeguards than traditional firearms simply because they use compressed air instead of gunpowder. To close this dangerous gap, Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced Garrett's Law today after one of his constituents lost her son to suicide involving a high-powered airgun.

Existing law requires licensed firearms manufacturers and dealers to conduct a background check on prospective buyers to identify individuals who are prohibited from owning a firearm, such as felons or those with certain severe mental health conditions. Yet, lethal airguns are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as consumer products, rather than as dangerous weapons regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. As a result, any individual can bypass a background check to purchase a type of airgun that is as deadly as a firearm, regardless of criminal history or ability to otherwise legally own a firearm.

This loophole has caused irreparable and, in some cases, fatal harm. Garrett Edwards, a constituent of Rep. Mullin, struggled with mental health during the pandemic and was prohibited from possessing a firearm by law. Yet, sadly, when his condition worsened, Garrett legally purchased a lethal airgun online and used it to take his own life. To prevent similar tragedies, Garrett's Law would close this dangerous gap in federal lawby designating high-powered, lethal airguns as firearms.

"Garrett should still be here today," said Rep. Mullin. "If a weapon is powerful enough to kill, it should be subject to the same common-sense safety standards as any other gun. It makes no sense that someone prohibited by law from purchasing a firearm can still walk into a store or go online and legally obtain an airgun capable of killing. This bill closes that gap and, hopefully, helps prevent another family from facing this kind of unimaginable loss."

"Garrett's Law represents every person's right to be protected from a needless death," said Garrett's mother, Ann Edwards. "Garrett was an elite athlete, scholar, and meant the world to me. Despite the countless efforts made by his community, his late onset psychosis was unforgiving, and in a moment of crisis, he was able to access a lethal airgun through Amazon. Garrett ran out of time to fully live his life. I hope this law gives another child the chance to keep fighting."

"Airguns can be lethal, and current federal law ignores that by allowing unfettered access to them," said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. "We're glad to see Rep. Mullin introducing this legislation to create basic guardrails for these previously unregulated weapons, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass it."

"Lethal weapons should be treated like lethal weapons," said Jaclyn Corin, Co-Founder of March For Our Lives Foundation. "March For Our Lives supports Garrett's Law because our laws should reflect the real-world risks posed by high-powered airguns capable of taking a life. We're grateful to Congressman Mullin for his leadership in addressing this gap in federal law and advancing a common-sense measure to help prevent gun violence and save lives."

Garrett's Law, introduced by Rep. Mullin, would designate lethal airguns as firearms under the purview of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This would ensure that they receive the same common-sense gun safety protections as traditional firearms, such as background check and serialization requirements.

Specifically, Garrett's Law would:

• Designate lethal, high-powered airguns as firearms under the Gun Control Act;

• Exclude paintball and airsoft guns that are unlikely to cause serious injury; and

• Require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to produce guidance on how manufacturers and sellers can comply with this change.

This bill has been endorsed by GIFFORDS and March For Our Lives.

The bill text can be found here.

Watch Rep. Mullin's speech on the House Floor about Garrett's Law here.

###