Congresswoman Biggs Leads Push for Firearm Reform

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Sheri Biggs is marking progress in the fight to defend Second Amendment rights after the ATF responded to a letter she led, joined by 27 of her House colleagues, urging reform of outdated firearm travel regulations. Just days after receiving the letter, the Trump administration opened a public rulemaking process to examine and modernize how the ATF handles interstate travel with short-barreled firearms.

The move reflects growing momentum to ease unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and modernize a decades-old system that no longer serves the public or law enforcement effectively.

“Law-abiding citizens in South Carolina and across the country should not have to register their firearm every time they cross a state line,” said Congresswoman Biggs. “This process is outdated, it doesn't improve safety, and it infringes on constitutional rights. We’ve gotten this issue moving in the right direction, and now we’ll keep pushing until these reforms are finalized.”

National Firearm Rights Groups Applaud the Effort 

“NRA-ILA applauds Representative Sheri Biggs for leading this letter. Americans should not have to ask the government for permission to travel with their lawfully owned firearms,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “The Second Amendment does not stop at the state line. It is long past due for the ATF to amend the notification requirement for the interstate transportation of short-barreled firearms.”

“Gun owners should not have to beg a bureaucrat's permission each time they wish to cross state lines with their lawfully owned firearms to go hunting, compete in a shooting event, or protect themselves while traveling,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs at Gun Owners of America. “We thank Congresswoman Sheri Biggs for urging the ATF to reform its outdated and unnecessary process by allowing a gun owner to automatically receive lifetime approval to travel with their short-barreled firearms when they first acquire the firearm.”

The lawmakers argue that the current rule is legally unnecessary, administratively burdensome, and technologically outdated. Lawful NFA firearm owners already undergo enhanced vetting, including fingerprinting, federal tax payments, and background checks under 26 U.S.C. § 5812 and § 5841.

The letter requests that the ATF allow lifetime travel approval for legally owned SBRs and SBSs at the time of registration, avoiding repetitive use of Form 5320.20 for each trip. It also cites recent Supreme Court rulings (Heller, Bruen) that emphasize historical traditions and constitutional protections for firearms ownership.

Following the lawmakers’ letter, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives opened a 60-day public comment period to review and revise the current process for transporting short-barreled firearms across state lines. The proposed changes would modernize Form 5320.20 by allowing full digital submission through ATF’s eForms platform, eliminating mailing delays and paperwork redundancies. While the underlying registration requirement remains in place, the agency’s action signals a willingness to modernize an outdated system; a step aligned with concerns raised in the letter led by Congresswoman Biggs.

Signers of the Letter:

Sheri Biggs, Jeff Crank, Scott DesJarlais, Tony Wied, Clay Higgins, Pat Harrigan, Mary E. Miller, W. Gregory Steube, Ben Cline, David J. Taylor, Cory Mills, Lance Gooden, Kat Cammack, Brian Babin, Mike Haridopolos, Wesley Hunt, Ralph Norman, Andy Ogles, Derek Schmidt, Lauren Boebert, Rich McCormick, John Rose, Richard Hudson, Mike Collins, Abraham Hamadeh, Diana Harshbarger, Riley Moore.