Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is backing a proposed regulation that would ensure more gun sales are subject to background checks to reduce illegal trafficking of firearms across the country.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks at a press conference on the regulation and banning of ghost guns in July. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

Campbell, along with New York Attorney General Letitia James, is co-leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general in supporting the rule put forth by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The ATF proposal looks to clarify what it means for a person to be “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms and therefore required to obtain a license and run background checks when selling guns, according to a Friday release from Campbell’s office.

Attorneys general in support say the proposed regulation would also close loopholes that allowed the unlicensed sale of firearms, including online and at gun shows.

“I am proud to co-lead this multi-state coalition in support of ATF’s proposal to expand background check requirements for buyers of firearms, which will take us one meaningful step closer to ensuring that each one of us can live free from gun violence,” Campbell said in a statement.

The proposal comes after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — the first major federal gun safety legislation to be passed since the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 — into law last year.

That legislation, in part, put into place a requirement that juvenile records be reviewed during background checks for sales to people under age 21. It also made straw purchases and gun trafficking out of the country illegal.

Attorneys general say illegal gun trafficking remains prevalent in their states which is why they’re in support of the ATF proposal.

They believe it would help local and state law enforcement officials better track gun sales as it would provide more tools for officials to “effectively inspect gun dealers, trace guns used in crimes, prosecute gun charges, and help keep the communities they serve safe.”

Attorneys general say gun shows in states without universal background checks are a “a significant venue for unlicensed gun vendors and are a major source for guns trafficked into states like New York and Massachusetts.”

The number of guns later used in crimes that originated from gun shows increased by 19% from 2017 to 2021, according to a recent ATF report. About 75% of guns trafficked across state lines used in crimes originated from states without background check laws, the report also found.

“Gun traffickers and criminals have exploited loopholes in our laws to illegally obtain firearms and flood communities in states like New York with deadly weapons,” James said in a statement. “The ATF’s rule is a commonsense way to address this problem, and will help ensure more firearm sales are subject to background checks, thereby cutting off sources of weapons for gun traffickers.”

In November, the Boston City Council passed an ordinance that requires police to submit an annual report on gun trafficking data, a measure aimed at cutting down on the “150-200 shootings” that occur each year in the city.

The ordinance, effective immediately after passage, gives the Boston Police Department three months to “conduct a study on reducing the flow of firearms into the city” and submit a report on that data to the City Council, mayor and the Boston Public Health Commission, the legislation states.

“I believe that this ordinance not only gets us closer to addressing gun violence in our communities, but reinforces our commitment to having evidence-based policymaking,” said Councilor Brian Worrell, who co-sponsored the measure with Council President Ed Flynn.