The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) submitted a series of formal comment letters to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on multiple proposed rules, urging the agency to modernize regulations in ways that better respect the Second Amendment, gun-owner privacy and the right to interstate travel with firearms.

In late April, SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut was on hand for the announcement of 34 proposed and final rules announced during a press conference and signing by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and ATF Director Robert Cekada. At the ceremony, Cekada signed final rules, including the rescission of the "stabilizing brace" and "engaged in the business" rules, and provided summary insights into proposed rules, including updates to Form 4473 for the commercial transfer of firearms, clarifying interstate transportation of firearms under the Gun Control Act, and recordkeeping requirements for Federal Firearms Licensees.

"These comment letters reflect SAF's commitment to ensuring that federal regulations remain consistent with the text, history and tradition of the Second Amendment," said SAF Director of Legal Research and Education Kostas Moros. "The Constitution and our historical tradition demand that ATF get these proposed rules right. Fortunately, for the most part, they have. The proposed rules are, overall, in accord with the Second Amendment. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this process and urge the agency to finalize rules that expand, rather than restrict, the rights of peaceable citizens."

Across the letters, SAF supported proposals that would ease outdated barriers to non-over-the-counter firearms transactions, restore reasonable time limits on dealer records retention, clarify and strengthen protections for interstate transportation of firearms under the Gun Control Act and Firearm Owners' Protection Act and reduce unnecessary burdens on the interstate movement of National Firearms Act items. SAF also commented on proposed revisions to Form 4473, the definition of "adjudicated as a mental defective," and rules governing selection of biological sex on ATF forms.

"SAF is actively engaging in the regulatory process because these rules will have real-world consequences for millions of law-abiding gun owners across the nation," Kraut said. "We support reforms that modernize outdated practices, protect privacy and reduce unnecessary barriers to the exercise of Second Amendment rights, while remaining vigilant against any changes that could expand government overreach or create new obstacles for peaceable Americans."

For more information visit SAF.org.

The Second Amendment Foundation (saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the fundamental rights of individuals enshrined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. SAF engages in aggressive legal action to ensure the principles of armed self-defense, personal liberty, and the ownership of arms are defended, secured, and restored. Through public education initiatives, SAF teaches the importance of the Second Amendment to promote a society that values and exercises the right to keep and bear arms.