Rep. Janice Hahn bill would keep guns from stalkers

Anyone slapped with a restraining order for stalking someone would be prohibited from purchasing guns under legislation introduced this week by Harbor Area Democratic Rep. Janice Hahn.

The bill aims to fix what Hahn calls a "loophole" in federal law. Current law limits people from buying or owning a gun if they have stalked an intimate partner, Hahn said, but not if they have threatened a stranger or someone they know less well.

"Victims of stalking deserve peace of mind, whether or not they ever had a relationship with their stalker," Hahn said in a statement. She noted one in six American women will be stalked in their lifetimes.

The bill, H.R. 1914, would affect only those subject to a court order that restrains them from stalking or harassing another person. The order must conclude that the stalker represents a credible threat to the physical safety of the victim. An accused stalker must also have the opportunity to participate in a hearing relating to the incident, according to the bill.