[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4227 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4227
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent bulk sales of
ammunition, promote recordkeeping and reporting about ammunition, end
ammunition straw purchasing, and require a background check before the
transfer of ammunition by certain Federal firearms licensees to non-
licensees.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2025
Mr. Garcia of California (for himself, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr.
Frost, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Torres of New York,
Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Balint, Ms.
Schakowsky, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Goldman of New
York, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Magaziner, Ms.
Barragan, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Casten, and Mr. Deluzio)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent bulk sales of
ammunition, promote recordkeeping and reporting about ammunition, end
ammunition straw purchasing, and require a background check before the
transfer of ammunition by certain Federal firearms licensees to non-
licensees.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ammunition Modernization and
Monitoring Oversight Act'' or the ``AMMO Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL LICENSE REQUIRED TO DEAL IN AMMUNITION.
(a) In General.--Section 922(a)(1)(B) of title 18, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``or licensed manufacturer'' and inserting
``licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer''; and
(2) by striking ``or manufacturing'' and inserting
``manufacturing, or dealing in''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Definition of dealer.--Section 921(a)(11)(A) of such
title is amended by inserting ``or ammunition'' after
``firearms''.
(2) License fee.--Section 923(a)(3)(B) of such title is
amended by striking ``who is not a dealer in destructive
devices'' and inserting ``in firearms other than destructive
devices or ammunition for firearms other than destructive
devices''.
SEC. 3. AMMUNITION RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN LICENSEES.
Section 923(g)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or ammunition''
after ``firearms''; and
(2) in each of subparagraphs (B)(iii) and (C)(ii), by
inserting ``, or of ammunition,'' after ``firearms''.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON STRAW PURCHASE OF AMMUNITION.
Section 932 of title 18, United States Code, is amended in each of
subsections (b) and (c)(2), by inserting ``or ammunition'' after
``firearm'' each place it appears.
SEC. 5. RESTRICTION ON BULK AMMUNITION SALES.
(a) In General.--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(aa)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person licensed under this
chapter to transfer to a person not so licensed--
``(A) more than 100 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition or
more than 1,000 rounds of any other caliber of ammunition in
any period of 5 consecutive days; or
``(B) any ammunition if--
``(i) the transferee has not provided to the
transferor a written certification, signed by the
transferee, attesting that the purchase of the
ammunition would not result in the transferee having
acquired more than 100 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition
or more than 1,000 rounds of any other caliber of
ammunition, in the 5-day period ending with the date of
the transfer; or
``(ii) the transferor knows or has reason to
believe that the transfer would result in the
transferee having acquired more than 100 rounds of .50
caliber ammunition or more than 1,000 rounds of any
other caliber of ammunition, in the 5-day period ending
with the date of the transfer.
``(2)(A) It shall be unlawful for a person licensed under this
chapter to transfer ammunition to a person not so licensed, unless the
transferee--
``(i) has presented to the licensee a valid identification
document (as defined in section 1028(d)) on which appears--
``(I) the name and address of the transferee;
``(II) a number unique to the transferee; and
``(III) the signature of the transferee; and
``(ii) has entered the name, address, and signature of the
transferee on, and otherwise completed, such form as the
Attorney General shall prescribe, which shall include the
written certification described in paragraph (1)(B), and a
statement of the penalties for violating this subsection.
``(B) It shall be unlawful for any person in connection with the
purchase or attempted purchase of ammunition to knowingly make any
false or fictitious oral or written statement or to furnish or exhibit
any false, fictitious, or misrepresented identification, intended or
likely to deceive the seller with respect to any fact material to the
lawfulness of the sale of the ammunition under this chapter.
``(C)(i) Within 30 calendar days after the date a person licensed
under this chapter transfers ammunition in a transaction subject to
paragraph (1), the licensee shall transmit to the Attorney General a
paper or electronic copy of the form completed by the transferee
pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
``(ii) The Attorney General shall determine, on the basis of the
forms transmitted pursuant to clause (i) of this subparagraph, whether
a transfer of ammunition has been made in violation of paragraph
(1)(A).
``(iii) Within 60 days after receipt of a form pursuant to clause
(i), the Attorney General shall destroy the form unless the form is
needed in an ongoing bona fide criminal investigation or prosecution.
``(D) A licensee who transfers ammunition in a transaction subject
to paragraph (1) shall keep the form referred to in subparagraph (C) of
this paragraph in paper or electronic form for not fewer than 2
years.''.
(b) Penalties.--Section 924(a) of such title is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(9)(A) A person licensed under this chapter who knowingly
violates paragraph (1) or (2)(A) of section 922(aa) shall be fined not
less than $50,000 and not more than $250,000, and--
``(i) in the case of the 2nd such violation by the person,
the person shall be prohibited from selling a firearm or
ammunition for 60 days; or
``(ii) in the case of the 3rd such violation by the person,
all licenses issued to the person under this chapter shall be
revoked.
``(B) A person who knowingly violates section 922(aa)(2)(B) shall
be--
``(i) fined not more than--
``(I) $20,000, in the case of the 1st such
violation by the person; or
``(II) $50,000, in the case of any subsequent such
violation by the person;
``(ii) imprisoned not more than 5 years; or
``(iii) both.
``(C) Whoever knowingly violates subparagraph (C)(i) or (D) of
section 922(aa)(2) shall be fined not more than $10,000.''.
(c) Signage Requirement.--
(1) In general.--Section 923(g) of such title is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(8) Each person licensed under this chapter shall post at the
premises of the licensee subject to the license a sign on which there
is set forth, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Attorney
General--
``(A) a summary of paragraphs (1) and (2)(B) of section
922(aa), and the penalties for making false statements on a
written certification made pursuant to section
922(aa)(1)(B)(i); and
``(B) a summary of the provisions of section 932 relating
to ammunition, and the penalties for violating those
provisions.''.
(2) Penalty.--Section 924 of such title is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(q) Civil Penalty for Failure of Licensee To Post Sign About
Restrictions on Ammunition Sales.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Civil penalty.--With respect to each
violation of section 923(g)(8) by a person licensed
under this chapter, the Attorney General may, after
notice and opportunity for hearing, subject the
licensee to a civil penalty in an amount equal to
$10,000.
``(B) Review.--An action under this paragraph may
be reviewed only as provided under section 923(f).
``(2) Administrative remedies.--The imposition of a civil
penalty under paragraph (1) shall not preclude any
administrative remedy that is otherwise available to the
Attorney General.''.
SEC. 6. BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED BEFORE TRANSFER OF AMMUNITION BY
CERTAIN FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES TO NON-LICENSEES.
(a) In General.--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking subsection (s) and redesignating subsection
(t) as subsection (s);
(2) in subsection (s) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(i), by inserting
``indicating that the receipt of a firearm or
ammunition by such other person would not violate
subsection (g) or (n) of this section, or State, local,
or Tribal law'' before the semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (3)(C)(ii), by striking ``(as
defined in subsection (s)(8))''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) In this subsection, the term `chief law enforcement officer'
means the chief of police, the sheriff, or an equivalent officer or the
designee of any such individual.''; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (s) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(t)(1) A licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed
dealer shall not transfer ammunition to another person not licensed
under this chapter, unless--
``(A) before the completion of the transfer, the licensee
contacts the national instant criminal background check system
established under section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence
Prevention Act;
``(B) the system provides the licensee with a unique
identification number indicating that--
``(i) the receipt of a firearm or ammunition by
such other person would not violate subsection (g) or
(n) of this section, or State, local, or Tribal law;
and
``(ii) if such other person has not attained 21
years of age, that a transfer of a firearm or
ammunition to such other person would not violate
subsection (d) of this section; and
``(C) the licensee has verified the identity of such other
person by examining a valid identification document (as defined
in section 1028(d) of this title) of such other person
containing a photograph of such other person.
``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to an ammunition transfer
between a licensee and another person if--
``(A) such other person has presented to the licensee a
permit that--
``(i) allows such other person to possess or
acquire ammunition, or to possess or acquire a firearm;
and
``(ii) was issued not more than 5 years earlier by
the State in which the transfer is to take place; and
``(B) the law of the State provides that such a permit is
to be issued only after an authorized government official has
verified that the information available to such official does
not indicate that possession of ammunition by such other person
would be in violation of law.
``(3) Paragraphs (2) and (4) through (7) of subsection (s) shall
apply with respect to ammunition transfers pursuant to this subsection
in the same manner in which such paragraphs apply with respect to
firearm transfers.
``(4) It shall be unlawful for a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, or licensed dealer to transfer possession of ammunition
to another person not so licensed unless the licensee has provided such
other person with a notice of the prohibition under paragraph (1), and
such other person has certified that such other person has been
provided with this notice on a form prescribed by the Attorney
General.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 922.--Section 922(y)(2) of title 18, United
States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``, (g)(5)(B), and (s)(3)(B)(v)(II)'' and
inserting ``and (g)(5)(B)''.
(2) Consolidated and further continuing appropriations act,
2012.--Section 511 of title V of division B of the Consolidated
and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 (34 U.S.C.
40901 note) is amended by striking ``subsection 922(t)'' each
place it appears and inserting ``subsection (s) or (t) of
section 922''.
(c) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this section, or any
amendment made by this section, shall be construed to--
(1) authorize the establishment, directly or indirectly, of
a national firearms or ammunition registry; or
(2) interfere with the authority of a State, under section
927 of title 18, United States Code, to enact a law on the same
subject matter as this section.
(d) Authorization of Increased Funding for the NICS System.--In
addition to any amount otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the
background check system established under section 103 of the Brady
Handgun Violence Prevention Act, there are authorized to be
appropriated not more than $150,000,000 for upgrading and maintaining
the system.
SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
Within 6 months after the effective date of this Act and annually
thereafter, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives shall prepare, publish in the Federal Register, and
otherwise make available to the public a report on the violations of
section 922(aa) of title 18, United States Code, that occurred during
the period covered by the report, and the information reported pursuant
to paragraph (2)(C) of such section (including geographic data, total
sales data, crime statistics, information on repeat offenders, or
caliber types involved) during the period covered by the report, which
shall include an identification of any trend in the violations or
information that Federal, State, or local law enforcement authorities
may find useful.
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on
the 120th day after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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