[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 935 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 935

To regulate .50 caliber sniper weapons designed for the taking of human 
 life and the destruction of materiel, including armored vehicles and 
          components of the Nation's critical infrastructure.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 28, 2005

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Corzine, and Mr. Durbin) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                               on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To regulate .50 caliber sniper weapons designed for the taking of human 
 life and the destruction of materiel, including armored vehicles and 
          components of the Nation's critical infrastructure.

    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 ``Fifty Caliber Sniper Weapons 
Regulation Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Certain firearms originally designed and built for use 
        as long-range .50 caliber military sniper weapons are 
        increasingly being sold in the United States civilian market.
            (2) The intended use of these long-range firearms, and an 
        increasing number of models derived directly from them, is the 
        taking of human life and the destruction of materiel, including 
        armored vehicles and components of the national critical 
        infrastructure, such as radar and microwave transmission 
        devices.
            (3) These firearms are neither designed nor used in any 
        significant number for legitimate sporting or hunting purposes 
        and are clearly distinguishable from rifles intended for 
        sporting and hunting use.
            (4) Extraordinarily destructive ammunition for these 
        weapons, including armor-piercing and armor-piercing incendiary 
        ammunition, is freely sold in interstate commerce.
            (5) The virtually unrestricted availability of these 
        firearms and ammunition, given the uses intended in their 
        design and manufacture, present a serious and substantial 
        threat to the national security.

SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF .50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPONS UNDER THE NATIONAL 
              FIREARMS ACT.

    (a) In General.--Section 5845(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 (defining firearm) is amended by striking ``(6) a machine gun; (7) 
any silencer (as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States 
Code); and (8) a destructive device.'' and inserting ``(6) a .50 
caliber sniper weapon; (7) a machine gun; (8) any silencer (as defined 
in section 921 of title 18, United States Code); and (9) a destructive 
device.''.
    (b) Definitions.--
            (1) In general.--Section 5845 the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986 (defining terms relating to firearms) is amended by adding 
        at the end the following:
    ``(n) Fifty Caliber Sniper Weapon.--The term `.50 caliber sniper 
weapon' means a rifle capable of firing a center-fire cartridge in .50 
caliber, .50 BMG caliber, any other variant of .50 caliber, or any 
metric equivalent of such calibers.''.
            (2) Modification to definition of rifle.--Section 5845(c) 
        of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (defining rifle) is 
        amended by inserting ``or from a bipod or other support'' after 
        ``shoulder''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall only apply to a .50 caliber 
sniper weapon made or transferred after the date of enactment of this 
Act.
                                 <all>