110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1331
To regulate .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2007
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms.
MIKULSKI, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. SCHUMER,
and Mr. DODD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To regulate .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles.
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 `Long-Range Sniper Rifle Safety Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF .50 BMG CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES UNDER THE GUN CONTROL
ACT OF 1968.
(a) In General- Section 921(a)(4)(B) of title 18, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking `any type of weapon' and inserting the following: `any--
`(i) type of weapon'; and
(2) by striking `and' at the end and inserting the following: `or
`(ii) .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle; and'.
(b) Definition of .50 BMG Caliber Sniper Rifle- Section 921(a) of title
18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
`(36) The term `.50 BMG caliber sniper rifle' means--
`(A) a rifle capable of firing a center-fire cartridge in .50 BMG caliber,
including a 12.7 mm equivalent of .50 BMG and any other metric equivalent;
or
`(B) a copy or duplicate of any rifle described in subparagraph (A),
or any other rifle developed and manufactured after the date of enactment
of this paragraph, regardless of caliber, if such rifle is capable of
firing a projectile that attains a muzzle energy of 12,000 foot-pounds
or greater in any combination of bullet, propellant, case, or primer.'.
SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF .50 BMG CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES UNDER THE NATIONAL FIREARMS
ACT.
(a) In General- Section 5845(f) of the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C.
5845(f)) is amended--
(1) by striking `and (3)' and inserting `(3) any .50 BMG caliber sniper
rifle (as that term is defined in section 921 of title 18, United States
Code); and (4)'; and
(2) by striking `(1) and (2)' and inserting `(1), (2), or (3)'.
(b) Modification to Definition of Rifle- Section 5845(c) of the National
Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. 5845(c)) is amended by inserting `or from a bipod
or other support' after `shoulder'.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION.
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney
General shall implement regulations providing for notice and registration
of .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles as destructive devices (as those terms
are defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by
this Act) under this Act and the amendments made by this Act, including
the use of a notice and registration process similar to that used when the
USAS-12, Striker 12, and Streetsweeper shotguns were reclassified as destructive
devices and registered between 1994 and 2001 (ATF Ruling 94-1 (ATF Q.B.
1994-1, 22); ATF Ruling 94-2 (ATF Q.B. 1994-1, 24); and ATF Ruling 2001-1
(66 Fed. Reg. 9748)). The Attorney General shall ensure that under the regulations
issued under this section, the time period for the registration of any previously
unregistered .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle shall end not later than 7 years
after the date of enactment of this Act.
END
