Washington -- U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., today plans to join Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., in introducing the first bipartisan gun safety law since the new Congress took office Jan. 3.

The two senators say their bill will for the first time define gun trafficking as a federal crime, a move long sought by local law enforcement and mayors in cities across the country.

The senators unveiled a three-minute video this morning that explains details of their proposal. The Gillibrand-Kirk Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013 is aimed at stopping the flow of guns among criminal networks and street gangs, the senators said.

“I am proud to work with Senator Kirk who shares my commitment to cracking down on gun trafficking to keep illegal guns off our streets. Our bipartisan bill will save lives, it is not a Republican or Democratic idea, it is just the right idea,” Gillibrand said in a statement.

Gillibrand said in the past three fiscal years more than 330,000 guns used in violent gun crimes showed telltale signs of black market trafficking and 420,000 firearms were stolen. She noted the Upstate New York shooting of four firefighters in Webster last month involved the use of a straw purchaser.

Gillibrand is introducing the bill on the same day her friend, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will face off with the National Rifle Association by testifying at a Senate hearing on gun violence.

Giffords, a Democrat from the Tucson area, was seriously injured after she was shot in the head in a mass shooting in Arizona two years ago. Six people people were killed in the shooting.

Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWeinerDC