Assault Weapons Ban of 2019
Latest action · Jan 9, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S103-104)
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 9, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Assault Weapons Ban of 2019
This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD).
The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model.
The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD:
- importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments;
- importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and
- possession by a retired law enforcement officer.
The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties.
The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD.
Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture.
The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
Cosponsors 34
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 9, 2019 to Sep 12, 2019; 28 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-CT | Christopher Murphy | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | Jan 9, 2019 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jan 9, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 9, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Jan 9, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S103-104)
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6695 | Mazie K. Hirono D-HI | Nov 20, 2019 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5509, S5521 | Dianne Feinstein D-CA, Richard Blumenthal D-CT | Sep 17, 2019 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S103 | Dianne Feinstein D-CA | Jan 9, 2019 |
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.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 116-52 | PROTECTING AMERICA FROM ASSAULT WEAPONS251 pages | Judiciary Committee | Sep 25, 2019 |
Related bills 8
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 447 | Keep Americans Safe Act | Related bill | Feb 12, 2019 |
| S 736 | Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 | Reintroduced Bill | Mar 11, 2021 |
| HR 1186 | Keep Americans Safe Act | Related bill | Sep 10, 2019 |
| HR 1296 | Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 | Related bill | Feb 15, 2019 |
| S 2095 | Assault Weapons Ban of 2017 | Reintroduction of | Mar 14, 2018 |
| HR 2959 | Freedom from Assault Weapons Act | Related bill | Jun 26, 2019 |
| S 3254 | Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020 | Related bill | Feb 5, 2020 |
| HR 5717 | Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020 | Related bill | Mar 10, 2020 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Assault Weapons Ban of 2019
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal justice information and records
- Criminal procedure and sentencing
- Department of Justice
- Firearms and explosives
- Law enforcement administration and funding
- Licensing and registrations
- Retail and wholesale trades
- Trade restrictions
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 9, 2019Introduced in Senate
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.
