This morning, At-Large D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson introduced a bill which would slightly alter the waiting period for residents wishing to register a handgun inside the District. Under current regulations, Washingtonians seeking to register a handgun must wait 10 days after applying for registration; Mendelson’s bill, in effect for the next 90 days, changes that requirement to a 10-day waiting period after the point of purchase. Mendelson introduced the bill after the city’s lone operating federal registrar, Charles Sykes, lost his lease, rendering him currently unable to process new registrations.

Mendelson, who chairs the Council’s Judiciary Committee, says that the legislation is aimed to curb opinions that the District is out to get gun owners by at least eliminating a requirement that they wait an additional 10 days after Sykes finds a new location and reopens his licensing business.

“I want to send a signal to critics of the District that the Council is not oblivious to the current situation which is creating a burden for persons seeking to lawfully have a handgun to protect their home,” Mendelson said via email. “In reality, we can’t do anything about the market forces that have not supported the presence of any stores and only one FFL transfer dealer. But we can lessen the wait.”

Mendelson added that Sykes is currently looking for a new location and that he is told “the District government will facilitate permit processing so that he can reopen without delay.”

“My impression is that it will not be a long time before [Sykes] is able to reopen,” added Mendelson.