WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today introduced the Modern Firearms Safety Act, which would prohibit states from enforcing handgun rosters. These lists of pre-approved handguns require manufacturers to include costly features like microstamping, loaded chamber indicators, and magazine disconnect mechanisms on firearms, preventing law-abiding citizens from purchasing the firearm of their choice.
“Unconstitutional handgun rosters create unnecessary, burdensome requirements for firearm manufacturers while undermining the Second Amendment,” said Risch. “The Modern Firearms Safety Act stops Democrats arbitrary handgun catalogs and protects law-abiding gun owners’ right to bear arms.”
Several states, including California, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and D.C., have recently enacted unconstitutional handgun rosters. A 2024 federal district court ruling found California’s handgun roster requirements unconstitutional.
Risch is joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in introducing the legislation.
“Those on the Left continue to use every creative avenue possible to stifle Second Amendment rights and restrict gun ownership for law-abiding citizens,” said Crapo. “These practices must stop.”
“State governments have no business restricting the types of firearms that law-abiding citizens can purchase. These so-called ‘handgun rosters’ create unnecessary and burdensome regulations and are a violation of our Second Amendment rights,” Capito said. “I am proud to join with my colleagues to introduce the Modern Firearm Safety Act and preserve the gun ownership rights of American citizens.”
“Blue states look for every avenue to ban guns for law-abiding citizens,” said Cassidy. “Requiring unnecessary and imaginary modifications that don’t improve safety is just another tactic out of this playbook. The Second Amendment is a Constitutional right that shouldn’t be infringed upon just because of the state in which you reside.”
“Trying to impose unnecessary and overly stringent requirements on what features handguns must have is a blatant attempt to strip away core constitutional rights,” said Cornyn. “This legislation ensures law-abiding gun owners in Texas can continue to exercise their Second Amendment right in a safe and responsible way without being subject to impractical restrictions.”
“Our Founding Fathers were clear—the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” said Daines. “Forcing Americans to outfit their firearms with onerous and costly features is a clear attempt to undermine the Second Amendment and law-abiding citizens’ constitutional rights, and it must stop.”
“I am proud to join Senator Risch in our fight against the Democrats’ never-ending attack on our Second Amendment rights and our constitutional freedoms,” Marshall said. “The Modern Firearm Safety Act will end the unconstitutional gun grab currently underway in far-Left states like California, New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Our legislation rightfully blocks Democrats from enforcing illegal handgun roster requirements designed to target law-abiding Americans.”
"This commonsense legislation safeguards the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens by eliminating unnecessary barriers to purchase firearms," said Tillis. "I am proud to support responsible gun owners by introducing this legislation, which aims to prevent government overreach and uphold our constitutional freedoms."
The Modern Firearms Safety Act has received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Rifle Association (NRA).
