Ghost gun bill passes Vt. House, headed to governor

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – The Vermont House Thursday passed a bill to crack down on so-called ghost guns in the state.

S.209 would prohibit the possession and transfer of these unregulated, unserialized and untraceable firearms. It also establishes a process for federal firearms dealers and licenses to print serial numbers on firearms.

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Justice says the number of ghost guns recovered by law enforcement agencies increased by more than 1,300% from 2016 to 2022.

Gun control groups have praised the action, saying it will save lives.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.