Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Having a Heck of a Time Finding This

Sometime between 1932 and 1964, Congress passed a law that prohibited transfer of handguns to those who were not "of sound mind."  I have a list of the session laws for the various revisions of the statute -- but I can't seem to find the text of the laws passed:

July 8, 1932, 47 Stat. 651, ch. 465, § 4; Nov. 4, 1943, 57 Stat. 586, ch. 296; Aug. 4, 1947, 61 Stat. 743, ch. 469; June 29, 1953, 67 Stat. 94, ch. 159, § 204.

Do you have access to Lexis/Nexis?  Can you pull these session laws for me? 

An interesting item that might be worth investigating in the future: the 1932 statute which also for the first time in decades prohibited concealed carry of a firearm without a permit, was passed by Congress 20 days before the Bonus Expeditionary Force (sort of a cleaner version of Occupy Wall Street) was forced out of their D.C. encampment -- with tanks.

Alternatively: the text of the 1932 statute is probably in S.Rep.No.575, 72nd Cong., 1st Sess.

UPDATE: Someone found Statutes at Large online for me at the ever useful constitution.org, thanks everyone.  And with respect to the Bonus Expeditionary Force?  The statute passed by Congress immediately after the new stricter concealed weapon law?  It appropriates $100,000 for transportation of BEF members home before July 15, 2013.

3 comments:

  1. Interesting point in it's juxtaposition in history.

    Sorry, I don't have access, either.
    It will be interesting to find out.

    gfa

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  2. Clayton,

    I haven't been down to the law library a few blocks from the Boise Capitol in years, but I used to go down there and it seems to me they allowed some searches on the database since they have a subscription.

    Plus they have all the standard books on the shelves.

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  3. They have moved the law library, but it is open the hours that I need to be at my day job, unfortunately. Someone did find the materials in question online for me.

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