Press Releases

Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement after the government funding deal included a 7-year extension of the Undetectable Firearms Act (UFA).

The UFA restricts the manufacture, sale, and possession of firearms with less than 3.7 oz of metal content. It was first introduced after the emergence of firearms that could be undetectable by metal detectors or X-ray machines. The UFA was signed into law by President Reagan in 1988. The law initially had a ten-year sunset clause but was renewed for five years in 1998 as a part of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act - again passing the Senate unanimously and again passing the House by a broad bipartisan vote of 391 to 25. Each subsequent renewal- in 2003, 2013, and a short-term renewal in November's bipartisan CR, garnered broad, bipartisan support.

“Two weeks ago, I sent the Speaker a letter urging him to include my legislation, H.R.7040, which extends the UFA, in any appropriations deal,” said Congressman Lawler. “I was glad to see that Speaker Johnson and Republican leadership understood my concerns with the expiration of the UFA and worked to extend it another 7 years in the appropriations package coming to the floor for a vote this week.”

“The UFA is a common-sense gun safety measure that ensures folks who go to a Knicks or Rangers game at Madison Square Garden, a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium, a Mets game at Citi Field, or any major sporting event or concert in New York are kept safe from undetectable firearms,” concluded Congressman Lawler. “The extension of the UFA is a welcome move for New Yorkers, and indeed, the nation.”

New York's 17th Congressional District is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.