Keep Americans Safe Act

Full Title:
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 item that has or can be changed to accept more than 10 rounds. It makes it unlawful to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess such devices in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce. People who lawfully possessed these devices on the date the law is enacted are allowed to keep them. The bill lists several exemptions, including federal and state law enforcement officers (including certain campus officers), nuclear licensees for security purposes, certain retired law enforcement officers, and licensed manufacturers or importers working under Attorney General–authorized testing. It requires devices made after enactment to have a serial number and manufacture date engraved or cast on them. The bill also adds large-capacity devices to existing seizure and forfeiture provisions and adjusts penalties to cover violations. Finally, it allows funds from Byrne grants to be used to compensate people who surrender such devices in buy-back programs and includes a severability clause.

What it means for you#

  • If you own a device that holds more than 10 rounds and you lawfully possessed it on the bill's enactment date, you may keep it under this bill.
  • After enactment, importing, selling, making, transferring, or possessing these devices in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce would be illegal except for listed exemptions (law enforcement, certain nuclear security uses, some retired officers, and authorized testing).
  • New devices manufactured after enactment must bear a serial number and the manufacture date.
  • The bill expands seizure, forfeiture, and penalty rules so those tools apply to these devices.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on overall federal costs. The bill does specify that Byrne grant funds may be used to pay compensation in buy-back programs for surrendered large-capacity devices.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.