US House Panel Advances Bill to Ban Americans From Owning New ‘Assault Weapons’

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US House Judiciary Committee moved forward legislation to restrict the sale and ownership of so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, advancing the bill for consideration by the full House of Representatives.

“The Assault Weapons Ban Act would prohibit the sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices,” Chairman Jerry Nadler said during the committee markup.

The Judiciary Committee advanced the bill in a 25-18 vote along partisan lines.

The legislation, first introduced in March 2021, was moved forward following a series of recent high-profile mass shootings in the United States, including one at an elementary school in Texas that left 19 children dead and another at a supermarket in New York that resulted in ten people being killed.

The legislation defines a semiautomatic assault weapon as any semiautomatic rifle that has a non-fixed magazine in addition to a pistol grip, forward grip, adjustable stock, barrel shroud or threaded barrel. Any semiautomatic rifle with a fixed magazine capable of accepting more than ten rounds, excluding tubular devices designed to operate only with 0.22 caliber rimfire ammunition, are also considered assault weapons under the bill.

The legislation also includes semiautomatic pistols without a fixed magazine and with a threaded barrel, barrel shroud, second pistol grip, or stabilizing brace under their definition of assault weapon, as well as semiautomatic pistols with a fixed magazine with a capacity more than ten rounds.

The bill also considers semiautomatic shotguns with a non-fixed magazine and a modifiable stock, pistol grip, or forward grip as assault weapons. Any semiautomatic shotgun with a revolving cylinder is also considered an assault weapon by the legislation.

A variety of civilian versions of “AK,” “AR” and other firearms with military counterparts are also banned as assault weapons under the bill.

However, the legislation grandfathers in protections for semiautomatic assault weapons already legally owned, so long as they are securely stored. The bill also stipulates background checks by a licensed gun dealer prior to the sale or transfer of grandfathered firearms.

The bill allows continued possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, but prohibits their sale or transfer.

The legislation authorizes state and local governments to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate people who surrender their assault weapons or magazines under a buy-back program.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee argued that the bill violates the Second Amendment protections of the US Constitution, which guarantee the right to keep and bear arms. Contemporary semiautomatic weapons are protected under the Second Amendment as much as any other, the lawmakers contended.

The bill will now be considered by the full House of Representatives, where it is likely to pass the Democratic majority. The legislation would then be considered by the Senate, which is unlikely to advance the legislation.