Democrats have come under fire by gun groups over bringing a legislative proposal that would put restrictions on access to handguns in the United States.

Lawmakers introduced the proposal on Thursday under which people would be required to obtain a license before purchasing some firearms.

The Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act also requires background checks to all handgun sales and block people under the age of 21 from purchasing those arms.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun rights expressed outrage at the proposal, although there seems not much chance of passing the Republican Congress.

“They cannot ban guns because of the Constitution, so they want to make it so difficult for law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional right to self-protection,” said NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker.

"Someone should send them a copy of the Constitution — specifically, a copy of the Second Amendment,” she added.

The legislation, however, is backed by a study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research that says handgun licenses dramatically reduce homicide rates.

“Of the thousands of Americans murdered every single year by firearms, nearly 90 percent of those deaths occur with a handgun,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen said.

“With mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends dying every day because of guns, there is no question that gun violence is tearing at the fabric of our communities."

If states refuse to implement the gun regulations, they would risk losing federal funding. But states that follow through with the regulations would receive federal funding to carry them out.

Since December 2012 - when twenty children and six adults were fatally shot by a gunman at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut - President Barack Obama has pushed for gun law reforms, including expanded background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

But the powerful gun lobby and its supporters in Congress have blocked the proposed measures.

A research, published online early this month by the journal Pediatrics Study, indicated that more than one in four American children are exposed to gun violence before reaching the age of 18 either as a victim or a witness.

One in 33 American children is the victim to incidents involving guns or knives, according to the study.

Overall, the number of children exposed to violence involving weapons stands at 17.5 million, a number that surpasses that of children suffering from diabetes or cancer.

SB/AGB