ALBANY (AP) U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says he is introducing legislation to make it illegal to build homemade bombs.
The New York Democrat said Sunday that current federal rules could potentially allow someone to make homemade explosives without breaking the law.
He says that the Boston Marathon bombing and the publication by terrorist groups of recipes for homemade bombs show the need to criminalize the activity.
The senator says the legal loophole hinders law-enforcement efforts to stop acts of terror and violence. His legislation would outlaw bomb making, though exceptions would be made for businesses with a license to create explosives for legitimate uses.
Specifically, the bill would authorize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies to arrest those who are manufacturing homemade explosives.
