Philadelphia, PA –Yesterday, April 29, 2026, the Department of Justice announced a suite of proposed and final rules that would undermine significant progress in combating gun violence in Pennsylvania over the last few years.
The announced rule changes include:
- Reopening gun show and online sale loopholes, which previously required background checks for all purchasers, known as the “Engage in Business Rule.”
- Repeal regulations on “stabilizing braces”, which turn handguns into short-barreled rifles that can fire more accurately, at greater distances and with greater velocity, making them deadlier. They were used in mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and Boulder, Colorado.
“Today, the Trump Administration put the gun industry’s profits over the lives of Pennsylvanians. In the midst of a generational decline in gun homicides, this reversal puts lives on the line. These rules will allow more gun trafficking, more deadly, concealable firearms and will mean lives lost. If the Trump Administration won’t keep Pennsylvanians safe, other elected officials must step up, said Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA Education Fund’s CEO.
“It’s Christmas in April for the gun industry. The rollback of rules designed to prevent gun trafficking and prevent mass shootings will put more money in the pockets of the gun industry, while Pennsylvanians are forced to face the deadly consequences.” he concluded.
