Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025”.
Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025
A BILL
To prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of .50 caliber rifles, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibition on rifles capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition
In general— Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in section 922, by adding at the end the following:
“(aa) Rifles capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition
“(1) In general—Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for any person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a rifle capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition.
“(2) Exceptions
“(A) Government use—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the importation for, manufacture for, sale to, transfer to, or possession by the United States, a department or agency of the United States, a State, or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a State, of a rifle capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition.
“(B) Grandfathered rifles—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the sale, transfer, or possession of any rifle otherwise lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of the Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025.”
in section 924(a)(1)(B), by striking “or (q)” and inserting “(q), or (aa)”.
Inclusion of certain rifles as firearms under National Firearms Act—
In general— Section 5845(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking “and (8) a destructive device” and inserting “(8) a destructive device; and (9) a rifle which is capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition and is lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of the Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025”.
Effective date—
In general— Subject to subparagraph (B), the amendments made by this subsection shall take effect on the date which is 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
Registration—
In general— Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) or any other provision of law, any person possessing a rifle which is capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition which is not registered to such person in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record shall register each such rifle so possessed with the Secretary in such form and manner as the Secretary may require within the 12-month period immediately following the date of enactment of this Act. No fee or tax shall be imposed with respect to any registration required under this subparagraph.
Inclusion in registry— Any registration described in clause (i) shall become a part of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. No information or evidence required to be submitted or retained by a natural person to register a firearm under this subparagraph shall be used, directly or indirectly, as evidence against such person in any criminal proceeding with respect to a prior or concurrent violation of law.
Definitions— In this paragraph:
National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record— The term National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record means the registry established pursuant to section 5841 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Secretary— The term Secretary has the same meaning given such term under section 7701(a)(11)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Sec. 3 Exception to coverage under Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
Section 4(5)(A) of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (15 U.S.C. 7903(5)(A)) is amended—
in clause (v), by striking “or” at the end;
in clause (vi), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(vii) an action brought against a manufacturer or seller that knowingly sells or transfers a qualified product, or attempts or conspires to do so, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the transaction is prohibited under section 805(c) of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1904(c)).”
Sec. 4 Federal firearm prohibitor for significant foreign narcotics traffickers and certain other foreign persons
In general— Section 922(d) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in paragraph (10), by striking “or” at the end;
by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12);
by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
“(11) is—
“(A) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker publicly identified by the President in a report under subsection (b) or (h)(1) of section 804 of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1903); or
“(B) a foreign person designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 805(b) of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1904(b)); or”
in paragraph (12), as so redesignated, by striking “(10)” and inserting “(11)”.
Conforming amendments relating to NICS— Section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (34 U.S.C. 40901) is amended—
in subsection (b)(2)(D), by inserting “or that transfer of a firearm or ammunition to the individual would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922” after “section 922 of title 18, United States Code,”;
in subsection (e)(1)—
in subparagraph (A), by inserting “or to whom transfer of a firearm would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922,” after “section 922 of title 18, United States Code or State law,”;
in subparagraph (C), by inserting “or that transfer of a firearm or ammunition to the person would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922,” after “section 922 of title 18, United States Code,”;
in subparagraph (F)(iii)(I), by striking “(g) or (n)” and inserting “(d)(11), (g), or (n)”; and
in subparagraph (G)(i), by striking “(g) or (n)” and inserting “(d)(11), (g), or (n)”;
in subsection (g), by inserting “or that transfer of a firearm to a prospective transferee would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922,” after “section 922 of title 18, United States Code or State law,”; and
in subsection (i)(2)—
by striking “persons,” and inserting “persons who are”; and
by inserting before the period at the end the following: “, or to whom transfer of a firearm would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922”.
Sec. 5 Adding rifles to multiple firearm sales reporting requirements
Section 923(g)(3)(A) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking “pistols, or revolvers, or any combination of pistols and revolvers” and inserting “pistols, revolvers, or rifles, or any combination of pistols, revolvers, and rifles”.