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S 1414 108th Congress Senate Crime and Law Enforcement Ammunition Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues District of Columbia Firearms Firearms control Government Operations and Politics Licenses Local laws Municipal home rule Sentences (Criminal procedure)

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act

Introduced: July 15, 2003 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 24, 2003
Committee on Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
Jul 15, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9426)
Jul 15, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9425-9426)
Jul 15, 2003
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act - Amends the District of Columbia Code to provide that the D.C. Council's regulatory authority regarding firearms, explosives, and weapons in the District shall not be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise permitted to possess firearms under Federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by Federal law nor regulated by the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms.

Repeals the definition of machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.)

Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) prohibition on registration of pistols (handguns); (3) prohibition on possession of handgun ammunition; (4) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked; (5) related firearm registration requirements such as applicant qualifications and filing deadline.

Eliminates criminal penalties for: (1) possessing an unregistered firearm; or (2) carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person.

What's happening now July 24, 2003

Committee on Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1414: District of Columbia Personal Protection Act. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-1414/
MLA
"S. 1414: District of Columbia Personal Protection Act." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-1414/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1414, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-1414/.
Markdown link
[S. 1414: District of Columbia Personal Protection Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-1414/)
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