New Obama Gun Measures to License More Dealers, Check More Buyers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) —
Mike Howse, left, helps David Foley as he shops for a handgun at the Spring Guns and Amo store in Spring, Texas, on Monday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Mike Howse, left, helps David Foley as he shops for a handgun at the Spring Guns and Amo store in Spring, Texas, on Monday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

President Barack Obama’s administration on Monday issued new guidance to clarify that all dealers selling guns – whether at shows, in flea markets, on the internet or in stores – are required to get licenses and run background checks on buyers, the White House said.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she could not estimate the number of gun sellers or buyers who will be affected by the new guidance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The FBI will boost its workforce for processing background checks by 50 percent, hiring more than 230 new examiners and staff, Lynch said.

Obama also will propose hiring 200 new ATF agents and investigators, and will ask Congress to invest $500 million to boost access to mental-health care, the White House said.

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