What This Bill Does
This bill, called the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2023, makes three main changes to federal ammunition rules. It requires that ammunition sales happen in person, that ammunition dealers get licenses, and that big ammunition purchases get reported to law enforcement.
Who It Affects
Licensed ammunition dealers (businesses that need government permission to sell ammunition)
Unlicensed people who want to buy ammunition
The Attorney General (the federal government's chief lawyer)
State and local law enforcement agencies
Key Provisions
Licensed ammunition dealers must verify a buyer's identity using a photo ID before selling ammunition in person, and this sale must happen face-to-face (Sec. 2(b))
Unlicensed people cannot sell ammunition, except they can sell to licensed dealers (Sec. 2(b))
Ammunition dealers must report to the Attorney General and state or local law enforcement when they sell more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition to one unlicensed person within any five consecutive business days (Sec. 2(d))
Ammunition dealers must keep records of ammunition sales and transfers, similar to firearm records (Sec. 2(d))
What Changes
If this law passes, ammunition sales cannot happen online or through the mail to regular people. Ammunition dealers will need federal licenses. Large ammunition purchases of over 1,000 rounds within five business days must be reported to law enforcement the same day.
Important Definitions
Valid identification document: A photo ID as defined elsewhere in federal law (Sec. 2(b))
Licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer: Businesses with federal permission to import, make, or sell ammunition or firearms (Sec. 2)
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 584
To require face-to-face purchases of ammunition, to require licensing of am-
munition dealers, and to require reporting regarding bulk purchases
of ammunition.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 26, 2023
Mrs. WATSON
COLEMAN
(for herself, Mr. MFUME, Mr. CARSON, Mr.
QUIGLEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. LEE of
California, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. DEAN of Pennsyl-
vania, and Mr. IVEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To require face-to-face purchases of ammunition, to require
licensing of ammunition dealers, and to require reporting
regarding bulk purchases of ammunition.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Online Ammuni-
4
tion Sales Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON PURCHASES OF AMMUNITION.
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(a) LICENSING OF AMMUNITION DEALERS.—
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•HR 584 IH
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 923(a) of title 18,
1
United States Code, is amended in the matter pre-
2
ceding paragraph (1), in the first sentence, by strik-
3
ing ‘‘, or importing or manufacturing’’ and inserting
4
‘‘or’’.
5
(2)
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
6
921(a)(11)(A) of title 18, United States Code, is
7
amended by inserting ‘‘or ammunition’’ after ‘‘fire-
8
arms’’.
9
(b) REQUIREMENT FOR FACE-TO-FACE SALES OF
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AND LICENSING TO SELL AMMUNITION.—Section 922 of
11
such title is amended—
12
(1) in subsection (a)(1)—
13
(A) by striking ‘‘for any person—’’ and all
14
that follows through ‘‘(A) except’’ and inserting
15
‘‘(A) for any person except’’; and
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(B) by striking subparagraph (B) and in-
17
serting the following:
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‘‘(B) for—
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‘‘(i) any person except a licensed importer,
20
licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer, to—
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‘‘(I) sell ammunition, except that this
22
subclause shall not apply to a sale of am-
23
munition by a person to a licensed im-
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•HR 584 IH
porter, licensed manufacturer, or licensed
1
dealer; or
2
‘‘(II) engage in the business of im-
3
porting or manufacturing ammunition, or
4
in the course of such business, to ship,
5
transport, or receive any ammunition; or
6
‘‘(ii) a licensed importer, licensed manufac-
7
turer, or licensed dealer to transfer ammunition
8
to a person unless the licensee, in the physical
9
presence of the person, has verified the identity
10
of the person by examining a valid identification
11
document (as defined in section 1028(d) of this
12
title) of the person containing a photograph of
13
the person;’’; and
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(2) in subsection (b)(5), by striking ‘‘or armor-
15
piercing’’.
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(c) LIMIT ON SHIPPING AND TRANSPORTING OF AM-
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MUNITION.—Section 922(a)(2) of such title is amended—
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(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
19
by inserting ‘‘, or to ship or transport any ammuni-
20
tion,’’ after ‘‘any firearm’’; and
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(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘or am-
22
munition’’ after ‘‘a firearm’’.
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(d) RECORDKEEPING REGARDING AMMUNITION.—
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•HR 584 IH
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 923(g) of such title
1
is amended—
2
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)—
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(i) in the first sentence, by inserting
4
‘‘or ammunition’’ after ‘‘other disposition
5
of firearms’’; and
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(ii) in the third sentence, by striking
7
‘‘, or any licensed importer or manufac-
8
turer of ammunition,’’ and inserting ‘‘, or
9
any licensed importer, manufacturer, or
10
dealer of ammunition,’’; and
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(B) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end
12
the following:
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‘‘(C) Each licensee shall prepare a report of multiple
14
sales or other dispositions whenever the licensee sells or
15
otherwise disposes of, at one time or during any 5 consecu-
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tive business days, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition
17
to an unlicensed person. The report shall be prepared on
18
a form specified by the Attorney General and forwarded
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to the office specified thereon and to the department of
20
State police or State law enforcement agency of the State
21
or local law enforcement agency of the local jurisdiction
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in which the sale or other disposition took place, not later
23
than the close of business on the day that the multiple
24
sale or other disposition occurs.’’.
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•HR 584 IH
(2)
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
1
4182(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is
2
amended by inserting ‘‘and except as provided in
3
paragraph (1)(A) and (3)(C) of section 923(g) of
4
such title,’’ before ‘‘no person holding a Federal li-
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cense’’.
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Æ
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