Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2017
Latest action · Jan 25, 2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 3, 2017
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2017
This bill permits an individual to transport a knife between two places (i.e., states) where knife possession, carry, or transport is legal. A knife must be securely stored during transport, unless it is an emergency knife designed to cut seat belts.
This bill prohibits the arrest or detention of an individual for a knife violation unless there is probable cause to believe the individual failed to securely store the knife during transport. An individual may assert compliance with this bill as a claim or defense in any civil or criminal proceeding.
This bill repeals provisions, commonly known as the Federal Switchblade Act, that prohibit the introduction of switchblade knives into interstate commerce. It also repeals the Ballistic Knife Prohibition Act of 1986, which prohibits the possession, manufacture, sale, or importation of a ballistic knife.
Finally, it amends the federal criminal code to eliminate two provisions—one that restricts the mailability of switchblade knives, and one that restricts the mailability of ballistic knives.
Cosponsors 10
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 16, 2017 to Oct 2, 2018.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AZ | Trent Franks | Feb 16, 2017 | |
| R-NC | Mark Meadows | Mar 13, 2017 | |
| R-AZ | Paul A. Gosar | Mar 13, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Roger Williams | Mar 17, 2017 | |
| R-SC | Jeff Duncan | Jan 12, 2018 | |
| R-GA | Tom Graves | Jul 6, 2018 | |
| R-TX | Louie Gohmert | Jul 12, 2018 | |
| R-AZ | Debbie Lesko | Aug 3, 2018 | |
| R-OH | Robert E. Latta | Sep 13, 2018 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Oct 2, 2018 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jan 3, 2017 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Jan 23, 2017 | |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jan 3, 2017 |
| Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee | Referred Jan 25, 2017 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 25, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
- Jan 23, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Jan 3, 2017Introduced in House
- Jan 3, 2017Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 1, January 3, 2017, page H49.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 88 | Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2019 | Reintroduced Bill | Jan 25, 2019 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport knives interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of local and State prohibitions, and to repeal Federal provisions related to switchblade knives which burden citizens.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2017
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Civil actions and liability
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal procedure and sentencing
- Detention of persons
- Federal preemption
- Manufacturing
- Postal service
- Retail and wholesale trades
- State and local government operations
- Transportation safety and security
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 3, 2017Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
