Federal law would override state gun regulations nationwide

What it does

This bill amends federal law to prohibit states and localities from imposing criminal penalties, civil penalties, or financial barriers on the public carrying of firearms by U.S. citizens who are otherwise legally eligible to possess guns. It voids any existing state or local law that criminalizes, penalizes, or discourages public firearm carry. The bill applies to all states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and U.S. possessions, but allows private property owners to prohibit firearms on their premises if they post clear notice.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is federal preemption of state and local firearm regulations, framed as enforcement of Second and Fourteenth Amendment rights. It does not create a new right but removes state-level restrictions on an existing constitutional right.

What the text implies

• Overrides state and local democratic decisions on public safety regulations, centralizing firearm policy at the federal level and removing local control.
• The definition of 'public' includes privately-owned locations open to the public unless the owner posts clear notice—this may create ambiguity about enforcement and liability for private businesses.
• Applies uniformly across all states regardless of population density, urban/rural differences, or local crime rates, potentially creating uniform national policy from diverse local contexts.
• Does not address federal background check requirements or other federal eligibility criteria, creating potential gaps between 'otherwise eligible under State and Federal law' and actual enforcement mechanisms.

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

Who it affects

The bill expands a constitutional right (firearm carry) for citizens who wish to exercise it, but simultaneously preempts state and local democratic processes that have chosen stricter regulations based on public safety concerns. Citizens in states with existing carry restrictions gain the right to carry; citizens in states that have democratically chosen stricter regulations lose the ability to maintain those protections through their elected representatives.

Who stands to gain

• firearm manufacturers and retailers (increased demand from expanded carry rights)
• ammunition manufacturers (increased consumption from expanded carry rights)

Named in the bill

U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, States and political subdivisions, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. possessions, Supreme Court (Heller, McDonald, Bruen precedents cited)

Where it stands

78 cosponsors: 78 Republicans.

• Jan 23, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 23, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

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

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $439,548 in lobbying spend. A filing names 106 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 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Thomas Massie, the sponsor, reported $112,556 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Association for Gun Rights — $429,548 on 2 filings
• American Firearms Association — $10,000 on 1 filing

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