Congress strips D.C. of gun-safety authority, mandates concealed carry
H.R. 8297 — District of Columbia Firearm Freedom Act · Filed by Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) · Introduced Apr 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill overrides Washington D.C.'s firearm regulations by eliminating licensing and registration requirements, banning feature-based gun restrictions, permitting concealed carry without a permit, and allowing D.C. residents to purchase firearms from licensed dealers in Virginia and Maryland. The bill asserts Congress's constitutional authority over D.C. and imposes federal preemption of all conflicting local gun laws.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is the wholesale preemption of D.C. gun-control statutes and the elimination of prior-approval and registration systems. It is functionally a deregulation bill, though framed as a constitutional-rights restoration.
What the text implies
- Destruction of D.C. firearm registration records within 180 days eliminates a tool residents used for theft recovery and law enforcement investigation, with no alternative mechanism provided.
- Section 401 amends federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(3)) to allow Virginia and Maryland dealers to sell to D.C. residents as if they were in-state buyers, effectively creating a cross-state commerce carve-out that bypasses D.C.'s local regulatory framework.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Federal firearms licensees in Virginia and Maryland (expanded customer base); Firearm manufacturers (removal of feature-based restrictions expands product availability)