Assault Weapons Ban of 2023
Latest action · Jan 23, 2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S55)
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 23, 2023
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Assault Weapons Ban of 2023
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, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) 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 45
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 23, 2023 to Feb 26, 2024; 40 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Alex Padilla | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-NM | Ben Ray Luján | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-CT | Christopher Murphy | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-MI | Debbie Stabenow | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Original | Jan 23, 2023 |
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 23, 2023 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 23, 2023Introduced in Senate
- Jan 23, 2023Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S55)
In the Congressional Record 6
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 S5831 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY | Dec 7, 2023 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5767, S5772, S5773 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY, John Barrasso R-WY, Richard J. Durbin D-IL | Dec 6, 2023 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5720 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY | Dec 5, 2023 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5700 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY | Dec 4, 2023 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S618 | Debbie Stabenow D-MI | Mar 2, 2023 |
Related bills 6
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 298 | Keep Americans Safe Act | Related bill | Feb 7, 2023 |
| HR 625 | Keep Americans Safe Act | Related bill | Jan 30, 2023 |
| HR 698 | Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 | Related bill | Jun 5, 2023 |
| S 736 | Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 | Reintroduction of | Mar 11, 2021 |
| S 3407 | Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2023 | Related bill | Dec 5, 2023 |
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 2023
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 23, 2023Introduced 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.
