"Menendez and Congressman Ted Deutch today introduced the Keep Americans Safe Act, common sense public safety legislation that would ban the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition," the release said on Tuesday.
Those high-capacity magazines are designed for shooting en masse and are an accessory of choice among many mass shooters, the release said.
READ MORE: Texas High School Shooting Reignites Gun Debate
Menendez and Deutch announced their bill just days before the anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in the US state of Florida. The perpetrator, Nikolas Cruz, killed 17 people and wounded 16 more using a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.
Under current US laws, unlicensed or private gun sellers may transfer firearms without background checks. Research on the subject suggests that nearly 25 percent of all gun transfers in the United States happen without a background check.
READ MORE: Up to Ten, Mostly Students, Killed in School Shooting in Texas — Police (PHOTO)
In January, more than 40 US senators reintroduced legislation that would expand federal background checks on all gun sales.
Previous attempts to strengthen background checks have stalled in Congress in part due to fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
