Statement of Chairman Vincent C. Gray In Response to United States Supreme Court Decision in Heller v. District of ColumbiaFor more than 30 years, the District of Columbia has led the nation in adopting the most protective handgun restrictions allowed under the Constitution. These restrictions regulate the purchase, sale, possession, ownership, registration, transportation, importation, and manufacture of handguns. Do not expect that to change as the Council will continue to meet its obligation to protect the residents of the District of Columbia. Handguns and other dangerous weapons have been regulated in the District for more than 150 years, so I assure you that there will be some form of handgun regulation, and that regulation will be consistent with the Supreme Court decision.
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I have been advised that this decision has no immediate impact on our laws prohibiting the possession and use of guns outside of the home. There is no right to carry loaded handguns in the District. That has not changed. Nor will it. Under existing District law, only persons with valid gun registrations are even permitted to own ammunition.
The Supreme Court’s decision that the Second Amendment confers an individual right to bear arms only makes it possible for a particular District citizen to keep a handgun within his or her home. It does not prevent the District from placing restrictions on that right, and we intend to do just that. We will examine every option that is available. We already require the registration of rifles and shotguns, and we will require that handguns be registered. At minimum, we will enact legislation to apply registration requirements for handguns similar to those currently in place for rifles and shotguns. Components of the law may include registration requirements, minimum qualifications, criminal and mental background checks, medical clearance, training or test requirements, appropriate waiting periods, and procedures for transporting guns outside of the home.
If you happen to visit D.C. and unknowingly have a single round of ammunition in some nook or cranny in your automobile, according to Gray you have committed a felony under D.C.’s law.