ASHA strongly agrees with the recent Supreme Court decision (DC v Heller) which requires that the DC gun law be amended to allow law-abiding citizens the right to acquire and keep handguns in their homes and places of business.

AHSA supports the Second Amendment to the US Constitution and the use of firearms for all lawful purposes, including hunting, self-defense, collecting, and competitive or recreational shooting. Moreover, AHSA agrees with the Justice Department of the United States that the Second Amendment more broadly protects the rights of individuals, including persons who are not members of any militia or engaged in active military service or training, to possess and bear their own firearms, subject to reasonable restrictions designed to prevent possession by unfit persons or to restrict the possession of types of firearms that are particularly suited to criminal misuse.

In1976 the Washington D.C. City Council enacted the Firearms Control Regulations Act that prohibits the possession of a handgun that was not registered with city police prior to Sept. 24, 1976 and re-registered by Feb. 5, 1977. The Firearms Control Regulations Act also requires the registration of all privately owned rifles and shotguns and requires that they be kept at home and stored unloaded, disassembled, or bound by a trigger lock or similar device.

By virtue of the fact that handguns acquired after Feb. 5, 1977 are effectively banned, the DC gun law is much more restrictive than the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA).

Section 101 of the GCA states:

"[I]t is not the purpose of this title to place any undue or unnecessary Federal restrictions or burdens on law-abiding citizens with respect to the acquisition, possession, or use of firearms appropriate to the purpose of hunting, trapshooting, target shooting, personal protection, or any other lawful activity, and that this title is not intended to discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes."

AHSA believes the Washington DC Firearms Control Regulations Act should be amended to allow law-abiding citizens the opportunity to acquire and possess handguns, rifles and shotguns in their homes or place of business consistent with the purposes of the Gun Control Act of 1968.