Assault Weapons Ban of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill defines definition of semiautomatic assault weapons, semiautomatic pistols, semiautomatic shotguns, and large capacity ammunition feeding devices in federal firearms law, requires prohibition on import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, with exemptions for law enforcement, military, nuclear, and requires mandatory background checks for private transfers of grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapons through licensed dealers, with target shooting exceptions and Attorney General regulatory authority. It relies on compliance mandates, definition changes, trade restrictions, and reporting requirements. The main policy areas are Criminal Justice, Trade, and Energy.
Who Benefits and How
State and local law enforcement agencies (new grant funding for buy-back programs) could gain revenue opportunities, Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (exempted) would be affected, and Retired law enforcement officers (retain grandfathered weapons) could face fewer barriers.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Large capacity magazine manufacturers could lose revenue opportunities, Firearm manufacturers (domestic production banned) could lose revenue opportunities, and Firearm importers (imports banned) could lose revenue opportunities.
Key Provisions
- Defines definition of semiautomatic assault weapons, semiautomatic pistols, semiautomatic shotguns, and large capacity ammunition feeding devices in federal firearms law.
- Requires prohibition on import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, with exemptions for law enforcement, military, nuclear...
- Requires mandatory background checks for private transfers of grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapons through licensed dealers, with target shooting exceptions and Attorney General regulatory authority.
- Creates authorization of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds for state and local buy-back programs for semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill defines definition of semiautomatic assault weapons, semiautomatic pistols, semiautomatic shotguns, and large capacity ammunition feeding devices in federal firearms law, requires prohibition on import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, with exemptions for law enforcement, military, nuclear, and requires mandatory background checks for private transfers of grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapons through licensed dealers, with target shooting exceptions and Attorney General regulatory authority.
Key Policy Areas
Criminal Justice, Trade, Energy
Primary Purpose
The bill defines definition of semiautomatic assault weapons, semiautomatic pistols, semiautomatic shotguns, and large capacity ammunition feeding devices in federal firearms law, requires prohibition on import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, with exemptions for law enforcement, military, nuclear, and requires mandatory background checks for private transfers of grandfathered semiautomatic assault weapons through licensed dealers, with target shooting exceptions and Attorney General regulatory authority.
Policy Domains
Assault Weapons Ban of 2025
Identified Gains
- State and local law enforcement agencies (new grant funding for buy-back programs)
- Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (exempted)
- Retired law enforcement officers (retain grandfathered weapons)
- Nuclear facility licensees under Atomic Energy Act (exempted)
- Licensed dealers (new revenue from transfer facilitation fees)
Identified Costs
- Large capacity magazine manufacturers
- Firearm manufacturers (domestic production banned)
- Firearm importers (imports banned)
- Manufacturers of named assault weapon models (AK types, AR types, etc.)
- Firearm manufacturers producing semiautomatic weapons with tactical features
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMrs. McBath (for herself, Mr. Aguilar, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Auchincloss, …
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Firearm importers (imports banned), Firearm manufacturers (domestic production banned), Firearm manufacturers producing semiautomatic weapons with tactical features
Gun owners who voluntarily surrender weapons (receive compensation), Individual gun buyers seeking semiautomatic weapons, Individual gun owners (possession/transfer restricted for new weapons)
Positive-direction: Gun owners who voluntarily surrender weapons (receive compensation)
Negative-direction: Individual gun buyers seeking semiautomatic weapons, Individual gun owners (possession/transfer restricted for new weapons), Owners of grandfathered assault weapons (safe storage mandate), Private sellers/transferors of grandfathered assault weapons
Attorney General / DOJ (new recordkeeping and reporting duties), Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (exempted), Prohibited persons (reduced access to assault weapons)
Positive-direction: Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (exempted), Retired law enforcement officers (retain grandfathered weapons), State and local law enforcement agencies (new grant funding for buy-back programs)
Negative-direction: Attorney General / DOJ (new recordkeeping and reporting duties), Prohibited persons (reduced access to assault weapons)
Firearm retailers and dealers, Licensed dealers (must facilitate grandfathered weapon transfers), Licensed dealers (new revenue from transfer facilitation fees)
Positive-direction: Licensed dealers (new revenue from transfer facilitation fees)
Negative-direction: Firearm retailers and dealers, Licensed dealers (must facilitate grandfathered weapon transfers)
Nuclear facility licensees under Atomic Energy Act (exempted)
Licensed target shooting facilities (transfer exception preserves business)
Rate-of-fire accelerating device manufacturers (bump stocks, binary triggers)
Communities affected by gun violence (reduced weapon stock)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "licensed_dealer"
- → Federally licensed firearm dealer
- "licensed_importer"
- → Federally licensed firearm importer
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States (DOJ)
- "licensed_manufacturer"
- → Federally licensed firearm manufacturer
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A semiautomatic assault weapon lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025.
Defined expansively to include: (1) semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines and any of 6 tactical features, (2) semiautomatic rifles with fixed magazines exceeding 15 rounds, (3) rate-of-fire accelerating devices, (4) semiautomatic pistols with non-fixed magazines and tactical features, (5) semiautomatic shotguns with detachable or 5+ round magazines and tactical features, plus hundreds of named models.
An individual employed by a private institution of higher education eligible for title IV funding, responsible for crime prevention/investigation, authorized to carry firearms and make arrests, and recognized by a government entity as a law enforcement officer.
A magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device with overall capacity exceeding 15 rounds, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept more than 15 rounds. Excludes attached tubular devices designed for .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.
Any repeating pistol that utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.
Any repeating shotgun that utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing shell to extract the fired shell casing and chamber the next round, and requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each shell.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology