H.R. 2799: Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025
Sponsor
Dina Titus
Democrat · NV-1
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Apr 9, 2025
Referred to the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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. for review
Bump stocks are legal again. This bill reverses that.
Why it matters
The Supreme Court struck down the ATF's bump stock rule in June 2024, making the devices federally legal again. H.R. 2799 would put the ban back — in federal statute, not a regulation the courts can undo. The bill also covers forced-reset triggers, binary triggers, and parts kits that make a semi-automatic rifle fire like a machinegun. 150 House members are signed on, but only one Republican — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Sponsor Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) represents the Las Vegas district where a shooter used bump stocks to kill 60 people at the Route 91 Harvest festival in 2017.
Bump stocks are federally legal as of June 2024. The Supreme Court ruled in Garland v. Cargill that the ATF had overstepped when the agency reclassified bump stocks as machineguns after the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. The court's majority held that a bump stock doesn't fit the statutory definition of a machinegun, and said Congress would have to change the law itself.
H.R. 2799 is Congress trying to. The bill writes a definition of "semi-automatic firearm" directly into federal law and makes it a crime to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, receive, or possess any device — manual, powered, or electronic — designed to make a semi-automatic gun fire materially faster or behave like a machinegun. The language is broad on purpose: it reaches bump stocks, forced-reset triggers, binary triggers, and any part or combination of parts designed to eliminate the need for a separate trigger pull for each shot.
The ban extends to the gun itself, not just the accessory. A semi-automatic rifle already modified to fire much faster would become illegal to own or transfer, even if the add-on is stripped out. That's broader than the 2018 ATF rule, which only regulated the devices.
Current owners get a 120-day window. Anyone who lawfully possesses a covered modified firearm before the law takes effect can register it under the National Firearms Act and keep it legally. Miss the deadline and possession becomes a federal crime. The grandfather clause is narrow: it covers modified guns already in hand, not the bump stocks and forced-reset triggers sitting on store shelves today — those become contraband on day 121.
Two phrases will drive every courtroom fight: "materially increases the rate of fire" and "approximates the action or rate of fire of a machinegun." Supporters say the breadth is necessary to keep up with the next accessory the market invents. Critics argue the terms are vague enough to sweep in aftermarket triggers and competition parts that enthusiasts have used for decades — the same interpretive weakness that sank the 2018 ATF rule at the Supreme Court.
Sponsor Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) represents the Las Vegas district where a gunman used bump stocks to kill 60 people and wound hundreds more at the Route 91 Harvest festival in 2017 — the event that pushed the Trump-era ATF to act in the first place. The bill has 150 cosponsors, but only one Republican: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA). With Judiciary and Ways and Means both holding jurisdiction and GOP leadership setting the calendar, H.R. 2799 has not moved since it was referred in April 2025.
H.R. 2799 Bill Summary
What H.R. 2799 actually does.
A semi-automatic firearm finally gets a statutory definition
The bill writes the definition of "semi-automatic firearm" directly into federal law: a gun that fires one round per trigger action, reloads itself using energy from the fired cartridge, and is not a machinegun. Until now, that definition lived in regulations — the gap the Supreme Court exploited in Cargill.
Bump stocks, forced-reset triggers, binary triggers — all banned
Starting 120 days after enactment, it becomes a federal crime to import, sell, make, transfer, receive, or possess any manual, powered, or electronic device attached to a semi-automatic firearm that materially increases its rate of fire or makes it behave like a machinegun.
Parts and conversion kits are covered too
The ban isn't limited to finished accessories. It reaches any part or combination of parts designed to eliminate the need for a separate trigger movement for each shot — language meant to catch forced-reset triggers, auto-sear kits, and whatever conversion parts the next wave of inventors comes up with.
Modified guns are illegal, even with the device removed
A semi-automatic rifle that has been altered to fire much faster — or to approximate a machinegun's rate of fire — becomes unlawful to possess or transfer under the bill, even if the aftermarket part is stripped out. That's broader than the 2018 ATF rule, which only banned the devices themselves.
Current owners get 120 days to register under the NFA
Anyone who lawfully owns a covered modified firearm before enactment has 120 days to register it under the National Firearms Act. Miss the window and possession becomes a federal crime. The grandfather clause doesn't extend to standalone bump stocks or triggers — those are contraband on day 121.
Police, military, and federal agencies are exempt
The ban does not apply to the United States, states, tribes, or any of their departments, agencies, or political subdivisions acting under official authority. Law enforcement and military units keep access to whatever equipment their agencies authorize.
Who benefits from H.R. 2799?
Gun-safety advocacy groups
They've spent seven years pushing for a statutory bump stock ban. A regulation can be undone by a new president or voided by the courts — as Cargill proved. A federal statute is harder to unwind.
Federal and local prosecutors
They gain a clear statutory hook for charging possession and trafficking of rapid-fire devices. Since Cargill voided the ATF rule, federal charges have had to rest on adjacent statutes or state law.
Las Vegas survivors and victims' families
The 2017 Route 91 Harvest festival shooting killed 60 and wounded hundreds; survivors and families have lobbied Congress for a statutory bump stock ban ever since. Sponsor Rep. Dina Titus represents the district where the shooting happened.
Current lawful owners of modified semi-autos
They get a 120-day legal path to keep their firearm by registering it under the National Firearms Act. Without the grandfather clause, the ban would have converted lawful possession into a federal crime overnight.
Who is affected by H.R. 2799?
Bump stock and forced-reset trigger manufacturers
Companies like Rare Breed Triggers, whose forced-reset trigger business resumed after Cargill, would see their product line criminalized. Inventory becomes contraband 120 days after enactment.
Current bump stock owners
Standalone aftermarket devices are not grandfathered — only modified firearms are. Anyone holding a bump stock at the 120-day mark faces a federal crime unless they turn it in or destroy it.
Gun owners who modify their rifles
Enthusiasts who have swapped aftermarket triggers, competition kits, or parts over the years face new legal uncertainty. Critics argue the "materially increases the rate of fire" language is vague enough that competition equipment could get pulled into the ban.
Federal courts and ATF
The "materially increases" and "approximates a machinegun" phrases are likely to drive years of litigation. Courts will have to decide what counts as "material" and what "approximates" means — the same interpretive gap that killed the 2018 ATF rule.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 2799 hasn't been debated on the floor yet.
This section updates when a legislator speaks about it on the floor or in committee.
HR2799 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Apr 9, 2025
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
About the Sponsor
Dina Titus
Democrat, Nevada's 1st congressional district · 17 years in Congress
Committees: Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (150)
This bill has 150 cosponsors: 149 Democrats, 1 Republican. Cosponsors represent 34 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, and 31 more.
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Henry Johnson
Democrat · GA
Seth Magaziner
Democrat · RI
Janice Schakowsky
Democrat · IL
Stephen Lynch
Democrat · MA
Joyce Beatty
Democrat · OH
David Scott
Democrat · GA
Betty McCollum
Democrat · MN
Suzanne Bonamici
Democrat · OR
Scott Peters
Democrat · CA
Jared Moskowitz
Democrat · FL
Andrea Salinas
Democrat · OR
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Ways and Means Committee
14 of 45 committee members cosponsored
Judiciary Committee
15 of 42 committee members cosponsored
9 Democrats across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 2799 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 5845(a) of Internal Revenue Code of 1986
striking ``and (8) a destructive device'' and inserting ``(8) a destructive device; and (9) a semi-automatic firearm, as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code, that is modified as described in section 922(v)(1)(C) of such title''
H.R. 2799 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Ways and Means
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- Apr 9, 2025
Referred to the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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. for review
Apr 9, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill text, cosponsors, and legislative history for the Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025
ATF's hub page for the bump stock final rule, including Q&A on the Supreme Court's Cargill decision and current legal status
Overview of the NFA registration system that this bill would require for certain modified semi-automatic firearms
The federal firearms chapter this bill amends, including definitions (Section 921), unlawful acts (Section 922), and penalties (Section 924)
The National Firearms Act definition of 'firearm' that this bill would expand to include modified semi-automatic firearms
The 2024 Supreme Court case that struck down ATF's bump stock rule, creating the regulatory gap this bill aims to close through legislation
Who is lobbying on H.R. 2799?
7 organizations lobbying on this bill
AMERICAN BENEFITS COUNCIL | 4 |
EMPOWER RETIREMENT LLC | 4 |
NATIONWIDE INSURANCE COMPANIES | 4 |
LINCOLN NATIONAL CORPORATION | 4 |
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST CO. | 4 |
TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 4 |
SAFETY AND ADVOCACY FOR EMPOWERMENT (SAFE) (F/K/A COALITION OF IGNITION INTERLOC | 3 |
Showing 1-7 of 7 organizations
H.R. 2799 Common Questions
Are bump stocks legal in the United States right now?
Federally, yes. The Supreme Court struck down the ATF's 2018 bump stock rule in Garland v. Cargill (June 2024), holding that a bump stock doesn't fit the statutory definition of a machinegun. Roughly 15 states still have their own bans in place.
Why does Congress have to pass H.R. 2799 when the ATF already banned bump stocks once?
The Supreme Court held in Cargill that the ATF couldn't ban bump stocks through regulation — Congress had to change the statute. H.R. 2799 does that, writing the ban directly into federal law so courts can't undo it by reinterpreting a rule.
Can I keep my bump stock if I already own one?
Not a standalone bump stock — those become contraband 120 days after enactment. The only grandfather path is for a semi-automatic firearm that was already modified before the law takes effect, and the owner must register it under the National Firearms Act within the 120-day window.
Does H.R. 2799 ban forced-reset triggers and binary triggers too?
Yes. The bill covers any device, part, or combination of parts designed to materially increase a semi-automatic's rate of fire by eliminating the need for a separate trigger movement per shot. That language sweeps in forced-reset triggers, binary triggers, and similar conversion parts.
When would the ban take effect if H.R. 2799 becomes law?
The prohibition kicks in 120 days after enactment. Current owners of modified firearms have the same 120-day window to register them under the National Firearms Act if they want to keep them legally.
What's the penalty for owning a banned device after the law takes effect?
Violations would be prosecuted under the existing federal firearms penalty statute, which carries up to 10 years in federal prison. The bill doesn't create new penalties — it plugs the new ban into the existing enforcement framework.
Are police, the military, and federal agencies exempt from the ban?
Yes. The prohibition doesn't apply to the United States, states, tribes, or any of their departments or agencies acting under official authority. Law enforcement and military units keep access to whatever equipment their agencies authorize.
How close is H.R. 2799 to actually passing?
Not close. The bill has 150 cosponsors but only one Republican (Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania), and it's been sitting in the House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees with no action since April 2025. It would need GOP leadership to schedule a hearing, and that hasn't happened.
Based on H.R. 2799 bill text
H.R. 2799 Bill Text
“To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit machinegun conversion devices and illegal modifications of semiautomatic firearms, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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