Assault Weapons Ban of 2023
Official title: To regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.
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ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mrs. McBath asked unanimous consent that she may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 698, a bill originally introduced by Representative Cicilline, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
Assault Weapons Ban of 2023
This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD).
The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model.
The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD:
- importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments;
- importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and
- possession by a retired law enforcement officer.
The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties.
The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD.
Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture.
The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
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Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 698: Assault Weapons Ban of 2023. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-698/
"H.R. 698: Assault Weapons Ban of 2023." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-698/.
H.R. 698, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-698/.
[H.R. 698: Assault Weapons Ban of 2023](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-698/)