Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues In Introducing Legislation To Ban Marketing Of Firearms To Children Through FTC Rulemaking

Press Release

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) in introducing the Protecting Kids from Gun Marketing Act, legislation that directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe rules that prohibit the marketing of firearms to children. The legislation comes as Americans suffered 52 mass shootings and 3,700 gun-related deaths across the United States in the first month of this year alone. There are restrictions on cigarette and tobacco advertising, on alcohol advertising, and on cannabis advertising, yet the firearms industry is not subject to any specific restrictions or limitations on their marketing practices.

For decades, gunmakers have marketed their automatic rifle-style guns, the weapon of choice in mass shootings, and other weapons, to children. These weapons include Chicago-based WEE1 Tactical's "JR-15' assault-style weapon, marketed and sold as a child's version of the AR-15 assault rifle.

"It's disgraceful that companies like Wee 1 Tactical, which I'm sorry to say is based in Illinois, are peddling weapons that look like military-style rifles to children. They want more Americans to use these weapons, and they're trying to hook them when they're young. This kind of marketing is reckless. It's dangerous. And it needs to stop," said Durbin. "I join my colleagues in urging the Federal Trade Commission to put an end to this shameful marketing tactic."

"WEE1 Tactical has looked at elementary schoolers, has looked at our babies, and decided that making a few more dollars is worth the added risk to their lives," said Duckworth. "Every minute we let companies like this one try to trick our babies into buying weapons of war, we risk witnessing another classroom turning into a crime scene. Every moment we let this continue, we risk having to bury yet another first-grader in their favorite pair of Converse. We must end this sick marketing strategy--then we must ban the sale of military-style assault weapons altogether."

Specifically, the Protecting Kids from Gun Marketing Act would:

Direct the FTC to promulgate a rule prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors;
Require the FTC to report to Congress on enforcement of the rule;
Authorize state attorneys general to bring actions for violations of the rule; and
Establish a private right of action for individuals to bring actions for violation of the rule.
Joining Durbin, Duckworth, and Markey in introducing this legislation are U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT.), Chris Murphy (D-CT.), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA.), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

Last week, Durbin and Duckworth, along with Markey, Blumenthal, Padilla, Murphy, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), held a press conference urging the FTC to investigate WEE1 Tactical's JR-15 marketing and advertising tactics.

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