Vermont House passes measure meant to crack down on so-called ghost guns

The Vermont House approved a bill Wednesday that would require firearms that are privately made from individual parts, kits or by 3D printers to have serial numbers in an effort to crack down on so-called ghost guns, which are increasingly being used in crimes.

Supporters of the measure in the Democratic-controlled Legislature say it’s critical for Vermont to keep the weapons out of the hands of people who aren’t allowed to have firearms. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed this week to take up a Biden administration appeal over the regulation of the difficult-to-trace ghost guns.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has a rule in place that prohibits guns and gun components from lacking serial numbers, but the rule’s legality is being challenged and it might be overturned, state Rep. Angela Arsenault told House colleagues last week.

“As a legislative body we have no such restrictions and since this rule may be struck down we need to act now to keep these protections in place,” she said.

The Vermont bill includes penalties ranging from fines as low as $50 to prison time depending on the offense. A person who carries a firearm that lacks a serial number while committing a violent crime would face up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000, or both.

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