Congress closes bump-stock loophole with criminal ban and registration

What it does

This bill prohibits the manufacture, sale, transfer, and possession of devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into rapid-fire weapons (bump stocks and similar devices) and semiautomatic firearms that have been illegally modified to fire like machine guns. Owners of illegally modified firearms must register them within 120 days or face criminal penalties. The bill closes a loophole that allowed bump stocks to remain legal after the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.

Why we flagged it

The bill is a straightforward criminal-law amendment that closes a specific loophole in federal firearms regulation by defining and prohibiting conversion devices and illegally modified semiautomatic firearms. It is not a tax measure, appropriation, or commemorative act, despite being referred to the Ways and Means Committee (likely due to the National Firearms Act amendment involving the Internal Revenue Code).

What the text implies

• The bill defines 'semiautomatic firearm' for the first time in federal statute, establishing a legal baseline that may affect future firearms litigation and regulatory interpretation.
• Registration requirement under section 5841 of the Internal Revenue Code subjects modified firearms to NFA tracking and potential future confiscation authority, creating a permanent registry of owners.
• The 120-day grace period creates a narrow window for owners to register illegally modified firearms; after that, possession becomes a federal felony with up to 10 years imprisonment (per 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2)).
• Government and tribal entities are explicitly exempted, preserving law enforcement and military access to rapid-fire weapons while restricting civilian ownership.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts civilian access to devices designed to circumvent machine gun prohibitions, reducing the lethality of mass-shooting weapons without banning semiautomatic firearms themselves. The 120-day registration window allows existing owners to comply without criminal liability, balancing enforcement with fairness.

Named in the bill

U.S. House of Representatives, House Committee on Ways and Means, Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), State and tribal law enforcement

Where it stands

151 cosponsors: 150 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Apr 9, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Apr 9, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means and House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

9 lobbying clients named this bill on 17 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $739,548 in lobbying spend. A filing names 9 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 89% of bills with at least one filing.

Dina Titus, the sponsor, reported $775,196 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Association for Gun Rights — $429,548 on 2 filings
• American Benefits Council — $90,000 on 2 filings
• Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence — $80,000 on 2 filings
• Safety and Advocacy for Empowerment (safe) (f/k/a Coalition of Ignition Interloc — $60,000 on 1 filing
• Empower Retirement LLC — $40,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 22, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.