House and Senate Democrats have opened a campaign to get states to require a license issued by police, complete with fingerprints and photos, before buying a handgun, even from a friend or family member.

The Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act of 2015, introduced Thursday, would also provide a taxpayer-funded federal grant to implement the program, which proponents say will help to cut down on gun violence and deaths.

Calls for gun control heightened after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School killings. AP Photo

"States require licenses to drive a car or even to fish in local rivers, so requiring a license to buy a deadly handgun is a commonsense step that could save countless lives. This legislation will help states develop responsible handgun licensing programs," said sponsor Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who is running for an open Senate seat in Maryland.

While the legislation is not a federal licensing program, it would still be a national project funded by a Justice Department grant that would require purchasers to provide police with photographs, fingerprints, and submit to a background check. The legislation did not indicate a price tag.

It would cover all handgun purchases, in gun stores, at gun shows and among private sellers, including friends and family.

From the fact sheet:

The Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act authorizes a grant program at the Department of Justice to encourage states to establish permit-to-purchase requirements for all handguns, including at gun shows and with private sellers. This grant would help offset the costs associated with the development, implementation, and evaluation of these programs. To be eligible, states must require individuals applying for a license to meet the following criteria:

-- Provide proof they are at least 21 years old and a lawful resident of the United States.

-- Apply for the license at a law enforcement agency within the state.

-- Submit to a background investigation and criminal history check.

-- Submit fingerprints and photographs with their application.

-- Be eligible to purchase a handgun pursuant to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.

Purchases of handguns at shows would first require a police-issued license under proposed legislation. AP Photo

Besides Van Hollen, there are three Connecticut sponsors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Rep. Elizabeth Esty.

The four said there is proof that licensing cuts violence and they cited a new study from Johns Hopkins University on a Connecticut law passed 10 years ago.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research found that firearm homicide rates dropped 40 percent after the state adopted a handgun purchaser licensing law.

"Permit-to-purchase requirements for all handguns keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who would fail a background check, and our bill would help other states develop programs similar to ours here in Connecticut. The time is now for Congress to pass this commonsense gun safety bill, as well as comprehensive federal background checks legislation, to make our streets, our schools, and our communities safer," said Murphy.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.