Feinstein Introduces Bill Increasing Age to Buy Assault Rifles

Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced the Age 21 Act (S.1395), a bill to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

            “It makes no sense at all to let an 18-year-old buy an assault rifle if he or she is too young to buy a handgun,” Senator Feinstein said. “This bill is very simple: It brings equity to federal law when it comes to handgun and assault rifle purchases, requiring anyone buying either to be at least 21 years old. If you can’t buy a beer, you shouldn’t be able to buy an AR-15. It’s simply logic, and this effort should have strong bipartisan support.”

            Under current federal law, an individual is required to be at least 21 years old in order to legally purchase a handgun but only 18 years of age to legally purchase an assault rifle like the AR-15 used in the Poway, Calif., synagogue shooting.

            The legislation (S. 1395), which Senator Feinstein introduced with Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) last year, creates parity in federal firearms law by prohibiting the sale of assault weapons to individuals under 21.