{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://kevinmullin.house.gov/2026/09/25/prompted-by-constituents-death-rep-mullin-introduces-bill-to-designate-lethal-airguns-as-firearms/", "Prompted by\u00a0Constituent\u2019s Death,\u00a0Rep.\u00a0Mullin Introduces Bill to\u00a0Designate Lethal\u00a0Airguns\u00a0as Firearms", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Kevin Mullin", "M001225", "kevinmullin.house.gov", "kevinmullin", "https://kevinmullin.house.gov/category/press_release/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Modern airguns can be powerful enough to cause serious injury or death, yet face far fewer safeguards than traditional firearms simply because they use compressed air instead of gunpowder. To close this dangerous gap, Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced Garrett\u2019s Law today after one of his constituents lost her son to suicide involving a high-powered airgun.\n\nExisting law requires licensed firearms manufacturers and dealers to conduct a background check on prospective buyers to identify individuals who are prohibited from owning a firearm, such as felons or those with certain severe mental health conditions. Yet, lethal airguns are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as consumer products, rather than as dangerous weapons regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. As a result, any individual can bypass a background check to purchase a type of airgun that is as deadly as a firearm, regardless of criminal history or ability to otherwise legally own a firearm.\n\nThis loophole has caused irreparable and, in some cases, fatal harm. Garrett Edwards, a constituent of Rep. Mullin, struggled with mental health during the pandemic and was prohibited from possessing a firearm by law. Yet, sadly, when his condition worsened, Garrett legally purchased a lethal airgun online and used it to take his own life. To prevent similar tragedies, Garrett\u2019s Law would close this dangerous gap in federal lawby designating high-powered, lethal airguns as firearms.\n\n\u201cGarrett should still be here today,\u201d said Rep. Mullin. \u201cIf a weapon is powerful enough to kill, it should be subject to the same common-sense safety standards as any other gun. It makes no sense that someone prohibited by law from purchasing a firearm can still walk into a store or go online and legally obtain an airgun capable of killing. This bill closes that gap and, hopefully, helps prevent another family from facing this kind of unimaginable loss.\u201d\n\n\u201cGarrett\u2019s Law represents every person\u2019s right to be protected from a needless death,\u201d said Garrett\u2019s mother, Ann Edwards. \u201cGarrett was an elite athlete, scholar, and meant the world to me. Despite the countless efforts made by his community, his late onset psychosis was unforgiving, and in a moment of crisis, he was able to access a lethal airgun through Amazon. Garrett ran out of time to fully live his life. I hope this law gives another child the chance to keep fighting.\u201d\n\n\u201cAirguns can be lethal, and current federal law ignores that by allowing unfettered access to them,\u201d said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. \u201cWe\u2019re glad to see Rep. Mullin introducing this legislation to create basic guardrails for these previously unregulated weapons, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass it.\u201d\n\n\u201cLethal weapons should be treated like lethal weapons,\u201d said Jaclyn Corin, Co-Founder of March For Our Lives Foundation. \u201cMarch For Our Lives supports Garrett\u2019s Law because our laws should reflect the real-world risks posed by high-powered airguns capable of taking a life. We\u2019re grateful to Congressman Mullin for his leadership in addressing this gap in federal law and advancing a common-sense measure to help prevent gun violence and save lives.\u201d\n\nGarrett\u2019s Law, introduced by Rep. Mullin, would designate lethal airguns as firearms under the purview of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This would ensure that they receive the same common-sense gun safety protections as traditional firearms, such as background check and serialization requirements.\n\nSpecifically, Garrett\u2019s Law would:\n\nDesignate lethal, high-powered airguns as firearms under the Gun Control Act;\n\nExclude paintball and airsoft guns that are unlikely to cause serious injury; and\n\nRequire the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to produce guidance on how manufacturers and sellers can comply with this change.\n\nThis bill has been endorsed by GIFFORDS and March For Our Lives.\n\nThe bill text can be found here.\n\nWatch Rep. Mullin\u2019s speech on the House Floor about Garrett\u2019s Law here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://kevinmullin.house.gov/2026/09/25/prompted-by-constituents-death-rep-mullin-introduces-bill-to-designate-lethal-airguns-as-firearms/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8934210054576397, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}