A bill that makes it easier to buy a handgun in the District has passed a D.C. Council committee and is heading to the full Council for consideration.
Backed by At-Large Councilman Phil Mendelson, the legslation would eliminate a vision test, a five-hour training course, ballistics testing and a ban on some types of ammunition for gun buyers. The legislation does not change registration requirements.
However the bill’s passage by council members is not guaranteed. The legislation was made possible in part by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2008 decision that ended a 32-year handgun ban in the District.
The legislation is one of several Mendelson is sponsoring that seeks to re-establish the District’s gun rules in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision. There are still currently no licensed dealers operating within the city.
