H.R. 404: Straw Purchaser Penalty Enhancement Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-01-23 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-01-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Straw Purchaser Penalty Enhancement Act

Plain summary

Straw Purchaser Penalty Enhancement Act - Amends the federal criminal code to provide for an additional sentence of two years' imprisonment for violating the prohibitions against making false statements or misrepresenting identification regarding the acquisition of a firearm or ammunition: (1) knowing that the violation will further the transfer of two or more firearms to a person prohibited by law from shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving a firearm; and (2) with the intent to conceal such person's identity from the transferor. Prohibits the court from: (1) placing any person convicted of such violation on probation; and (2) reducing a term of imprisonment for such a violation so as to compensate for, or otherwise take into account, a term of imprisonment imposed or to be imposed for a separate such violation. Prohibits a term of imprisonment imposed under this Act from running concurrently with a term imposed on the person under any other legal provision, except that a term imposed may, in the court's discretion, run concurrently with another term imposed by the court at the same time for a separate such violation, subject to applicable guidelines and policy statements issued by the United States Sentencing Commission. Requires the court to specify in its statement of the reasons for imposing a sentence for such a violation the factors that require any sentence below the statutory minimum. Directs the Attorney General to issue regulations requiring any form required to be completed by the purchaser of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer to include a notice of the provisions of this Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Straw Purchaser Penalty Enhancement Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] · 22 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Mark Takano (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Garamendi (D-CA), Joe Courtney (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] reported raising $10.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr404.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr404 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113