Dems want to implement nationwide handgun permits for purchases

New Democratic legislation would require Americans to provide police with fingerprints, photos and personal information to obtain a permit before making any handgun purchase.
Versions of the legislation introduced in both the House and Senate would require all states to adopt licensing schemes similar to purchasing requirements in Connecticut. The bill would not implement a federal licensing program but would funnel grant funds for the state licensing requirements through the Justice Department.
Connecticut’s law, which has been in effect since 1995, requires residents to pass a background check and obtain a special permit from local police for handgun purchases, even those between private parties.
The new legislation to replicate the law nationwide, sponsored by Democratic Reps. Elizabeth Esty (Conn.) and Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Sens. Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), is called the Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act.
“In Connecticut, state leaders moved swiftly following the tragedy at Sandy Hook to enact bipartisan, commonsense laws that make our communities safer,” said Esty. “The legislation we are introducing today is a critical reform that will allow other states to adopt lifesaving licensing programs and prevent gun deaths.”
Via a fact sheet about the legislation:

The Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act authorizes a grant program at the Department of Justice to encourage states to establish permit-to-purchase requirements for all handguns, including at gun shows and with private sellers. This grant would help offset the costs associated with the development, implementation, and evaluation of these programs. To be eligible, states must require individuals applying for a license to meet the following criteria:
*Provide proof they are at least 21 years old and a lawful resident of the United States.
*Apply for the license at a law enforcement agency within the state.
*Submit to a background investigation and criminal history check.
*Submit fingerprints and photographs with their application.
*Be eligible to purchase a handgun pursuant to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.

The bill sponsors cite a Johns Hopkins University study on the Connecticut law as proof that the licensing requirements will make the nation safer. That study showed a 40 percent drop in firearm homicides following the passage of the law.
“Permit-to-purchase laws, which require prospective handgun purchasers to first obtain a license from the police after passing a comprehensive background check, appear to reduce the availability of handguns to criminals and other people who are not legally permitted to buy guns,” study author Daniel Webster reported.
Critics of the study, however, claim that Webster failed to mention that Connecticut’s firearm homicide rate was in rapid decline even before the law went into effect.