Hirono, Blumenthal, colleagues introduce bill to ban high-capacity gun magazines
US Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaiʻi) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Keep Americans Safe Act to reinstate a nationwide ban on the sale, transfer, possession, import or manufacture of high-capacity gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
Companion legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill).
“As we work to combat our nation’s gun violence crisis, banning high-capacity magazines is a crucial step toward combatting senseless acts of gun violence and protecting our communities,” Hirono said. “Everyone deserves to live their lives free from the scourge of mass shootings and this commonsense legislation will help to keep dangerous, high-capacity magazines out of our communities and keep Americans safe.”
A federal law prohibiting semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was in place from 1994 to 2004. While research showed this regulation reduced the likelihood of mass shooting fatalities by 70%, this federal law has not been renewed since 2004. In mass shootings with four or more people killed between 2015 and 2022, high-capacity magazines led to more than twice as many people killed, and nearly 10 times as many people wounded, per incident on average.
Specifically, the Keep Americans Safe Act would:
- Ban the sale or transfer of high-capacity gun magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds to anyone other than law enforcement;
- Ban the possession of a high-capacity gun magazine manufactured after the date of enactment by anyone other than law enforcement;
- Authorize high-capacity magazine buyback programs; and
- Authorize law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and ATF, to seize and destroy high-capacity magazines possessed illegally.
“The common denominator in nearly every mass shooting is large-capacity magazines (LCMs), dangerous accessories that allow shooters to continuously fire without reloading, robbing victims of an opportunity to flee or intervene,” said Mark Collins, director of Federal Policy at Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Regardless if they are paired with handguns or assault weapons, when LCMs are used in shootings, 155% more people are shot and twice as many people are killed. Brady is grateful to Sen. Blumenthal, Sen. Hirono and Rep. DeGette for their leadership and is proud to endorse the Keep Americans Safe Act to regulate these dangerous accessories and make America safer.”
In addition to Hirono and Blumenthal, the legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill), Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
The full text of the bill is available here.
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