Federal Weapons Statute

The Federal Weapons Statute is a legislative action passed in early 1999 that governed the ownership, responsibilities, and punishment for gun owners in the United States of America.
==Background==
Instituted by Jonathan Seward in order to combat the Gang of Four, specifically the National Security Agency, without the help of the entire U.S. Military, busy with combating chaos throughout the nation at the time. After its implementation, the Statute reduced rioting in urban areas across the nation by up to 30%, allowing remaining military assets to take out the NSA. (p.11) Seward was assassinated in 2002, caused by the assassin being allowed to carry their firearm openly due to the Statute. (p.12)
In addition, the Statute caused the former state of Texas to pass the Ross Bill, a bill proposing the overturning of national legal precedence and laws in favor of state laws, being informally declared invalid by the state within its borders, causing Texas to threaten to secede from the Union upon the government response of force.
The Statute dictates that, should a gun owner's gun be found utilized and identified to be theirs at the scene of a crime, that they are liable for the crime. This can be prevented by reporting the gun as missing or stolen to local authorities, and filing this report with the local police forces. (p.321)
The statute also provides clarification that, while certain weapons could be carried openly to assure self and property protection, the carrying of submachine and fully automatic weapons is illegal, with those who possess them being liable for a 5-7 year mandatory prison sentence, although it does little to deter those who utilize them.
==References==
Category:Cyberpunk 2020 Laws