A new Republican-sponsored bill is looking to end no-knock warrants conducted by or coordinated by the office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The bill would be a significant restoration of individual liberties, say the bill’s backers.
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) introduced the legislation to bar the ATF from conducting a “no-knock” raid on a suspected gun owner’s house.
Good named the legislation the Federal Agent Responsibility Act and placed a special focus on a recent ATF rule change. The agency severely restricted private ownership of pistol braces.
Second Amendment activists describe the ban as both an unconstitutional overreach and discrimination against disabled firearms owners who use such braces. Good’s bill would ban the use of no-knock raids “on law-abiding gun owners.”
Rep. Good, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, stated that the ATF’s recent pistol brace rule is an example of “The Biden Administration’s weaponization of the federal government against law-abiding citizens.”
The Virginia Republican also added that no-knock raids are usually carried out for “suspected drug crimes,” and not for situations such as this. Furthermore, Good’s bill would prohibit “any federal officer from providing support” for such warrants from a state or local government.
🚨I just dropped a new bill to combat unconstitutional federal overreach on the Second Amendment rights of all Americans by PROHIBITING the FBI and ATF from coordinating with local law enforcement to carry out “no-knock” raids that pose an unreasonable risk to the public.
— Congressman Bob Good (@RepBobGood) February 28, 2023
The recent push parallels a number of concerns by Second Amendment activists. In particular, the use of executive orders to confiscate gun equipment has been a major factor. Furthermore, gun rights activists are concerned about recent efforts to reinstate a version of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.
For those recommending the legislation, the bill would cut down on the statutory power of a major government agency. They believe that it would also preserve the Fourth Amendment principles of people being “secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.”
Civil liberties activists from across the political spectrum have criticized the perceived overuse of no-knock raids, which often result in innocent people’s houses being searched.
Good’s legislation has some momentum behind it, and the bill was co-introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA).
