Senate Resolution 23 - Introduced

PAG LIN




                    SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
                             BY  SCHULTZ
  1  1 A Resolution supporting the use of 5.56 mm rifle
  1  2    ammunition made with a bullet having a steel core.
  1  3    WHEREAS, the United States Bureau of Alcohol,
  1  4 Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has recently
  1  5 considered a ban on the manufacture, import,
  1  6 distribution, and sale of 5.56 mm "green tip" rifle
  1  7 ammunition; and
  1  8    WHEREAS, rifles chambered for the 5.56 mm round are
  1  9 among the most popular and widely owned in the United
  1 10 States and Iowa; and
  1 11    WHEREAS, the federal Law Enforcement Officers
  1 12 Protection Act of 1986 codified the legal definition of
  1 13 armor piercing ammunition; and
  1 14    WHEREAS, the 5.56 mm rifle ammunition has been
  1 15 legally manufactured and sold in the United States,
  1 16 prior to and after the enactment of the federal Law
  1 17 Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1986 that
  1 18 is now invoked in support of a possible ban by the
  1 19 United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
  1 20 Explosives; and
  1 21    WHEREAS, the properties of the bullet and ammunition
  1 22 have not changed since the year 1986; and
  1 23    WHEREAS, the ammunition is no more dangerous
  1 24 to law enforcement or to the public than any other
  1 25 metal=jacketed rifle ammunition which would not be
  1 26 subject to the ban under consideration; and
  1 27    WHEREAS, the Fraternal Order of Police, the world's
  1 28 largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers,
  2  1 has stated that the specific round has not historically
  2  2 posed a law enforcement problem; and
  2  3    WHEREAS, the 5.56 mm rifle ammunition ban is not
  2  4 reasonably related to a legitimate law enforcement
  2  5 purpose or to any other hypothetical risk; and
  2  6    WHEREAS, the only effect of such a ban would be to
  2  7 restrict the availability of an otherwise legal, widely
  2  8 used, and popular 5.56 mm rifle ammunition; and
  2  9    WHEREAS, the United States Bureau of Alcohol,
  2 10 Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has not withdrawn or
  2 11 suspended the agency's procedure to consider a ban of
  2 12 the 5.56 mm rifle ammunition, but has merely deferred
  2 13 the decision to ban such ammunition pending further
  2 14 action to process the comments received and to evaluate
  2 15 the issues raised by such comments; and
  2 16    WHEREAS, such a ban would unreasonably infringe upon
  2 17 the Second Amendment rights of Iowans; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 18    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate
  2 19 opposes any such ban of 5.56 mm rifle ammunition; and
  2 20    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate supports the
  2 21 future use of 5.56 mm rifle ammunition by Iowans in the
  2 22 same manner as Iowans have previously enjoyed prior to
  2 23 the proposed ban of such ammunition.
       LSB 2611XS (6) 86
       jm/rj