Keep Americans Safe Act

Summary#

This bill defines a "large capacity ammunition feeding device" as a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, helical device, or similar device that has, or can be readily changed to accept, more than 15 rounds (excluding certain .22 tubular devices). It makes it illegal to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess such devices in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce. Devices lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment are exempt (grandfathered). The bill lists specific exemptions for the United States and its departments, State and local departments and agencies, qualified law enforcement officers (including a defined category of campus law enforcement officers), certain retired officers, certain nuclear licensees for security purposes, and licensed manufacturers or importers for testing authorized by the Attorney General. It requires large capacity devices manufactured after enactment to be engraved or cast with a serial number and the date manufactured. The bill also amends seizure and forfeiture provisions and penalty provisions to cover these devices, and it allows Byrne grant funds to be used to compensate people who surrender large capacity devices under buy-back programs. A severability clause is included.

What it means for you#

• If you owned a covered device on or before the enactment date, you are allowed to keep it under the bill's grandfathering provision.
• After enactment, importing, selling, making, transferring, or possessing these devices in interstate or foreign commerce would generally be illegal unless you fall under a listed exemption (for example, certain officers, agencies, nuclear security licensees, or licensed manufacturers for testing).
• New devices made after enactment must have a serial number and the manufacturing date visibly marked on them.
• Violations may subject devices to seizure and forfeiture and to the criminal penalties the bill adds or references.
• The bill authorizes using Byrne grant funds to pay compensation for surrendered devices in buy-back programs.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on estimated federal costs or savings is included in the bill text. The bill does add an allowable use of Byrne grant funds to compensate people who surrender covered devices, but it does not set dollar amounts or estimate totals.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text or metadata states proponents' arguments or expected benefits.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text or metadata states opponents' arguments or expected concerns.