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S. 66: Assault Weapons Ban of 2019

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S. 66: Assault Weapons Ban of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-09 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S103-104)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-09 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S103-104) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Assault Weapons Ban of 2019

Plain summary

Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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

Assault Weapons Ban of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · 34 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)

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)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-s66 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116