Rabb introduces legislation to reduce stolen, lost firearms from federally licensed dealers
Rep. Christopher M. Rabb September 29, 2026 | 10:27 AM
HARRISBURG, Sept. 29 – This week, state Rep. Chris Rabb introduced House Bill 2808, seeking to reduce the number of firearms stolen or lost from federally licensed dealers.
The bill, referred to the House Judiciary Committee, would require the Pennsylvania State Police or their designees to conduct annual inspections of federally licensed firearms dealers and would codify a duty to report lost or stolen firearms or ammunition.
Two programs would also be established via H.B. 2808: one to provide grants to dealers to modernize their operations and another to fund PSP-led recruitment, training and oversight of designees who verify that dealers properly store and secure firearms sales records.
“With over 3,000 federally licensed firearms dealers across the state, we need to identify which are complicit in the flow of illegal firearms, while providing ample support for the good-faith dealers seeking modernization,” Rabb said. “By empowering law enforcement and their designees to inspect gun dealers, without infringing on Pennsylvanians’ Second Amendment rights, we’re making our streets safer for everyone.”
State Reps. Jen Mazzocco (D-Allegheny) and Lindsay Powell (D-Allegheny), two co-sponsors of the bill, echoed the need for sensible illegal firearm legislation.
“With H.B. 2808, Pennsylvania can keep licensed firearms dealers running efficiently while finding real solutions to the scourge of gun violence in our communities,” Mazzocco said. “This is a way to take more illegal firearms off the streets just by reaffirming laws that are already on the books, and I hope my colleagues join in this reform.”
“Illegal firearms have been an epidemic across our state, and it is time we enact reforms to address this and find where the most common root of this problem lies,” Powell said. “House Bill 2808 will ensure that we do not have to choose between the safety of our communities and protecting Second Amendment rights, and I look forward to seeing this commonsense legislation move forward.”
More information on the bill is available at: https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb2808.