Renzulli Run Down: What You Need To Know

September 15, 2021 As Renzulli Law Firm previously reported, in a 2-1 decision dated July 13, 2021, a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals declared the provision in the Gun Control Act prohibiting federally licensed firearms dealers from transferring handguns to persons between 18-20 years old to be unconstitutional on the basis that…

September 3, 2021 On September 1, 2021, Texas House Bill 1927 took effect, making Texas the 21st state to eliminate a license requirement to carry a handgun.  Prior to Sept. 1, Texans were required to submit fingerprints, complete four to six hours of training, and pass a written exam and shooting proficiency test to obtain a…

August 24, 2021 On August 17, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a precedential Second Amendment decision in the case of Drummond v. Robinson Township.  The court reversed the district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit brought by William Drummond against Robinson Township challenging certain zoning regulations it put in place after…

August 9, 2021 In late 2020, Congress passed the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (“TMA”), the first major revision to U.S. trademark law in years.  The TMA will have an impact on many current and prospective trademark owners (for more information on how the TMA affects trademark owners outside the U.S., click here).  The TMA directed…

July 16, 2021 In a 2-1 decision dated July 13, 2021, the Fourth Circuit struck down certain provisions of the Gun Control Act (“GCA”) as a violation of the Second Amendment.  At issue in Hirschfeld v. ATF were the federal statutes that prohibit licensed dealers from selling handguns and handgun ammunition to 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds.  It…

On July 6, 2021, Governor Cuomo signed Senate Bill 7196 (which is a revised version of Senate Bill 1048A) into law.  The express purpose of SB7196 is to bypass the immunity provided to members of the firearms industry by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (“PLCAA”).  It does so by creating a broad…

June 24, 2021 In a national address on Wednesday, President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed the Administration’s plan to address the rising level of violent crime across the country by specifically targeting firearm dealers. They will be implementing a “zero tolerance” policy with respect to alleged “rogue gun dealers” who fail to abide…

June 5, 2021 On May 18, 2021, seven Democratic members of the House of Representatives introduced H.R. 3299, the Protecting Our Communities Act.  The text of H.R. 3299 is not yet available and its official name is currently “To help reduce gun violence through background checks and the National Firearms Act and for other purposes.” …

May 27, 2021 Shortly after the COVD-19 pandemic took hold in the spring of 2020, State Governors began to impose sweeping Executive Orders with the stated purpose of combating infections and “flattening the curve.” On March 17, 2020, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order 7E which suspended Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-17c, a law…

May 22, 2021 On May 21, 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (“ATF”) published its official proposal to amend the federal definition of a “firearm,” and implement other corresponding changes.  RLF previously reported that the new proposal is designed to enable the federal government to regulate and control the production of so-called…

April 23, 2021 The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ plan to regulate “ghost guns” is starting to take shape. A 107-page internal document was leaked yesterday which included a number of proposals specifically targeted at manufacturers and sellers of 80% receivers and component parts, often referred to as “ghost guns.” These proposals surfaced two weeks after…

March 26, 2021 This week an en banc panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a 7-4 decision holding that states may regulate and restrict the public carry of firearms. This decision reversed a prior holding of the same court that had struck down as unconstitutional a Hawaii County statute that effectively limited the issuance…

December 31, 2020 As Renzulli Law Firm reported, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association (NYSRPA) previously challenged New York City’s restriction on traveling with firearms outside of New York City. Although the Supreme Court accepted the case for review, New York City removed its restrictions before the case was heard by the Court. The…

December 18, 2020 The ATF is expected to publish a notice in the Federal Register today regarding “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces.’”.  This notice suggests that the ATF is changing its interpretation of firearms with stabilizing braces and will treat the majority of them as short-barreled rifles that are subject to the National Firearms…

November 9, 2020 California voters cast their ballots for more than elected officials on Election Night.  In a ballot initiative titled Proposition 24, Californians voted “yes” to strengthen existing data privacy laws with the implementation of the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).  The CPRA is intended to strengthen the existing California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA),…

October 23, 2020 On October 16, 2020 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued an Order declining to review the appeal in a lawsuit by a customer against a Pennsylvania firearms retailer for slander and for allegedly failing to adequately supervise and control its employees during an altercation with  a customer. This ruling brings finality to…

October 6, 2020 Numerous persons who were shot during the October 1, 2017 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, families of persons who were killed, and others claiming non-physical injuries, previously filed lawsuits against MGM in Nevada state court.  Those cases were consolidated into a single action, captioned Shepherd v. MGM,…

September 11, 2020 A Democratic member of the New York Senate recently introduced S-8926A, which would add a new provision to the General Business Law (proposed Article 39-DDDD), that aims to make it easier to file lawsuits against federal firearms licensees (“FFLs”).  The proposed law seeks to circumvent the immunity provided to FFLs by the Protection…

On August 26, 2020, the cities of Syracuse, San Jose, Chicago, and Columbia (SC), and the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, sued the ATF in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking to require it to change the definition of a firearm to apply to “ghost guns.” A firearm…

August 20,2020 The National Rifle Association is generally cast as either a hero or a villain in political debates.  Now the organization is fighting for its existence against what many are calling a purely political maneuver by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The NRA, however, is far more than a collection of political action…

On July 31, 2020, California Bill AB 2847, which revises the criteria for handguns to be certified for sale in California by requiring microstamping in one place on a discharged cartridge, was passed by California’s Senate Public Safety Committee. AB 2847 was proposed following litigation surrounding California’s adoption of Cal. Penal Code § 31910 (b)(7)(A)…

July 24, 2020 Earlier this month, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”), an organization within the Department of State responsible for regulating the import and export of certain defense technology, published a web notice updating its suppressor policy. The notice stated that effective immediately the Department of State has rescinded its April 18, 2020…

On June 4, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court rejected as misleading the proposed citizen backed initiative that would have asked Florida citizens to vote in 2022 on whether to amend the Florida Constitution to include an explicit “assault weapon” ban.  Under Florida law, citizens may propose an amendment or revision to any portion(s) of the…

May 29, 2020 Gun sales and the number of instant background checks performed have soared since the COVID-19 lockdown began two months ago.  Due to the rising number of background checks, they have often lagged to the point that “instant” does not always apply.  A group of Republican senators wrote to FBI Director Christopher Ray,…

May 15, 2020 Hunters and anglers across the country have seen major changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only have many public places been shut down, but the offices issuing permits have been closed in response to the stay-at-home orders issued in various states. This comes at a time when access to…

May 4, 2020 Approximately two weeks after Canada’s deadliest mass shooting in its history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a ban on “military style assault weapons.”  The shooting occurred over a span of two days in April when a lone gunman murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia, Canada.  The shooter did not have a firearms…

On April 23, 2020, a federal judge in California held that Proposition 63, which requires background checks to purchase ammunition, violates the Second Amendment.  “The experiment has been tried.  The casualties have been counted.  California’s new ammunition background check law misfires and the Second Amendment rights of California citizens have been gravely injured,” remarked U.S District Judge…

On March 11, 2020, the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, Second Department denied an appeal filed by a New York State Municipality against a private Land Developer.  The appeal was successfully opposed by Renzulli Law Firm.  The case arises from two fuel oil spills that occurred in 2008.  The Municipality…

March 20, 2020 An Illinois appellate court upheld an ordinance that imposes a firearms and ammunition tax. The court found that while the tax increases the cost of firearms and ammunition, it does not infringe on the ownership of firearms.  Citing the landmark Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, the court held that…

Legislators in Maryland have recently introduced three house bills designed to regulate various aspects of the firearms industry. Here is the Renzulli Run Down of what you need to know: House Bill 1257 is a proposed amendment to the Firearms Dealers’ Safety Act in Maryland. The Act requires licensed dealers to keep records of all firearms acquisitions…

This month, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a broad ban on so-called “Ghost Guns” (which we have covered previously).  In a press release he stated:   “Ghost guns can be created by anyone with a computer and access to a 3D printer, giving the public at large the ability to build their…