Rep. Haley Stevens Introduces Bill to Block Proposed Handgun Mailing Rules
Representative Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) presented a bill on Friday targeting the Trump administration’s suggested regulations that would allow handguns to be mailed through the USPS, similar to long guns.
Earlier in January, it was reported that the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) stated that prohibiting the mailing of handguns would infringe upon the Second Amendment.
The OLC noted that while private companies aren’t restricted from carrying concealed firearms, major express delivery services currently prevent anyone, except certain federal firearms licensees, from transporting firearms. Consequently, regular citizens are barred from transporting concealed firearms, despite handguns being included in the “weapons” shielded by the Second Amendment.
The OLC concluded that, according to the Constitution, the Executive Branch cannot enforce Section 1715 concerning firearms safeguarded by the Constitution, urging the Postal Service to adjust its regulations in alignment with the Second Amendment.
Stevens’ legislation is designed to prevent any “proposed or future” regulatory changes regarding the USPS’s handling of handguns.
The bill aims to “prohibit the Postal Service from ‘finalizing, implementing, or enforcing’ any proposed or future regulations that alter the mailing of firearms and to uphold the nearly century-old federal ban on mailing firearms.”
Stevens expressed that “Michiganders are looking for sensible safeguards that protect families and support law enforcement, rather than reckless policies that open new loopholes for illegal guns.” She emphasized the need to facilitate handgun mailing.
The proposal has garnered backing from the gun lobby, with pro-gun control advocate Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) suggesting that allowing mail-in permits for handguns poses “just as much danger” as rifles or shotguns.
Thompson further remarked that “Families, postal workers, and law enforcement demand increased safety protocols, not fewer. Instead of working on cost reduction and safeguarding democracy, Republicans appear to prioritize the desires of the gun control lobby, reversing key safety measures at the expense of American lives.”
