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On the Sunday episode of GPS on CNN, Fareed Zakaria proposed America pass certain gun laws in response to the Las Vegas shooting without realizing those laws already exist.
While chastising the country for not more quickly adopting gun-control measures he favors, Zakaria said a ban on gun sales to domestic abusers or illegal drug users could make a big difference. "Given the Second Amendment, given America's gun culture, given the influence of the gun lobby, there isn't any simple answer but there are many small fixes that might make a big difference. Universal background checks. Restrictions on military-style weaponry—of which banning bump stocks would be a tiny first step," he said. "A ban on selling to people with a history of domestic violence or substance abuse."
Under federal law, it is already illegal to sell a firearm to anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense or an illegal drug user. It is also illegal for any user of illegal drugs or person convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense to own or possess a firearm. The prohibition extends to users of drugs that are legal at the state level but still illegal under federal law.
Selling a firearm to a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense or who is a user of illegal drugs is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. Possession of a firearm by an illegal drug user or someone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor is also punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. Additionally, if an illegal drug user or person convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor has three or more prior convictions for violent felonies or drug trafficking felonies, they may receive a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole.