What This Bill Does
This bill changes how the federal government defines rifles and pistols under tax and firearms laws. The bill updates the definition of a rifle to exclude pistols that have rear braces or attachments, and requires the Attorney General to create a new official definition of what counts as a pistol.
Who It Affects
The Attorney General (the chief law enforcement official for the federal government) is directly required to take action. Gun manufacturers, sellers and owners could be affected by how these new definitions apply to their weapons.
Key Provisions
• The definition of "rifle" is changed to mean a weapon designed to be fired from the shoulder that fires one projectile per trigger pull, but specifically excludes pistols with rear braces or rear attachments that help control the weapon. (Sec. 2)
• The Attorney General must update the official regulations within 60 days to define "pistol" as a concealable weapon designed to fire projectiles from one or more barrels when held by a user, with chambers and short stocks gripped at an angle to the barrel. (Sec. 3)
• The new pistol definition states that rear mounted braces or attachments for controlling a pistol do not change whether a firearm counts as a pistol under this definition. (Sec. 3)
What Changes
The federal government's legal definitions of rifles and pistols change. Specifically, pistols equipped with rear braces will no longer be classified as short-barreled rifles under the new rifle definition.
Important Definitions
The bill explicitly defines "rifle" and "pistol" in the new legal language above.
Effective Date
The Attorney General has 60 days from the date this bill becomes law to update the regulations. Not specified in bill text for other provisions.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 381
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to update the definition
of rifles, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 17, 2023
Mr. GOOD of Virginia (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. GOSAR, Mrs.
HARSHBARGER, and Mr. GAETZ) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to update
the definition of rifles, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Individual
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Sovereignty Through Our Laws Act’’ or the ‘‘PISTOL
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Act’’.
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•HR 381 IH
SEC. 2. UPDATED RIFLE DEFINITION UNDER NATIONAL
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FIREARMS ACT.
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Section 5845(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of
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1986 is amended to read as follows:
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‘‘(c) RIFLE.—The term ‘rifle’ means a weapon origi-
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nally designed or redesigned, made or remade, and origi-
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nally intended by its maker or manufacturer to be fired
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from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made
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or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed
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cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled
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bore for each single pull of the trigger, and shall include
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any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire
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a fixed cartridge. For purposes of the preceding sentence,
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such term shall not include a pistol equipped with a rear
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brace or rear attachment which can be used to assist the
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shooter in controlling the pistol, even if such brace or at-
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tachment can also be placed against the shoulder.’’.
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SEC. 3. UPDATED PISTOL DEFINITION UNDER CODE OF
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FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
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Within 60 days of the date of the enactment of this
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section, the Attorney General shall amend subpart B of
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part 479 of subchapter B of chapter II of title 27, Code
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of Federal Regulations to clarify that a pistol has the fol-
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lowing definition:
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‘‘Pistol. A concealable weapon originally designed, made,
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and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more
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•HR 381 IH
barrels when held by a user, and having (a) a chamber(s)
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that is an integral part of, or permanently aligned with,
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a bore(s); and (b) one or more short stocks designed to
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be gripped by the user with said stocks at an angle to
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and extending below the line of the bore(s). The presence
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or absence of rear mounted braces or attachments which
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can assist a user in controlling the pistol shall not cause
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a firearm that otherwise meets this definition from being
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considered a pistol.’’.
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Æ
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