Attorney General Bonta Celebrates U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision Upholding the Regulation of Ghost Guns

 
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement after the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a 7-2 decision, upholding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) ghost gun rule. ATF’s rule first took effect in August 2022 and recognizes that weapon parts kits and certain partially complete frames and receivers are “firearms” under the Gun Control Act of 1968. Under federal law, manufacturers and dealers must keep records of, conduct background checks on, and serialize “firearms” to prevent them from falling into the hands of criminals and other individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms—and to enable law enforcement to trace firearms used to commit crimes. ATF issued the rule to impose those requirements on weapon parts kits and partially complete frames and receivers that are used to make ghost guns. 
 
“This decision is not only a victory for California but for the entire nation,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I was proud to support the Biden Administration’s efforts to protect Americans from deadly ghost guns and am glad to see this SCOTUS ruling today. In the state of California, we have seen firsthand the effectiveness of our commonsense gun-safety laws, and I am hopeful that similar laws are going to be implemented nationwide. Ghost guns not only leave law enforcement in the dark but also put our communities at risk. This federal rule is crucial to keeping ghost guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and critical to preventing and solving violent, firearm-related crimes.”
 
A copy of the court order and opinion can be found here.