[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8297 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8297
To restore and protect the Second Amendment rights of residents and
United States citizens who visit the District of Columbia by
modernizing the District's firearm laws, eliminating prior restraints
on acquisition and possession, establishing concealed constitutional
carry, prohibiting feature-based firearm bans, and facilitating lawful
purchases through Federally licensed dealers in neighboring States, and
for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 15, 2026
Mr. Crenshaw introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To restore and protect the Second Amendment rights of residents and
United States citizens who visit the District of Columbia by
modernizing the District's firearm laws, eliminating prior restraints
on acquisition and possession, establishing concealed constitutional
carry, prohibiting feature-based firearm bans, and facilitating lawful
purchases through Federally licensed dealers in neighboring States, and
for other purposes.
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 ``District of Columbia Firearm Freedom
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Article I, section 8, clause 17 of the Constitution
grants Congress plenary legislative authority over the District
of Columbia.
(2) The Second Amendment protects an individual's right to
keep and bear arms, and the District must maintain laws
consistent with that constitutional guarantee.
(3) United States citizens visiting the National Capital
and those who reside or work in the District should not have
their constitutionally protected Second Amendment rights
infringed.
(4) The District's regulatory structure has imposed undue
burdens on legal gun owners and residents wishing to be legal
gun owners, prior restraints on purchasing and concealed
carrying firearms, and feature-based restrictions that unduly
burden lawful acquisition, possession, and carrying of firearms
by responsible residents and visitors.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) District.--The term ``District'' means the District of
Columbia.
(2) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' has the meaning given
that term in section 921(a)(3) of title 18, United States Code.
(3) Licensee.--The term ``licensee'' means a person
licensed under section 923 of title 18, United States Code (a
Federal firearms licensee).
(4) Prohibited person.--The term ``prohibited person''
means any person prohibited from receiving or possessing
firearms under Federal law, including section 922(g) of title
18, United States Code.
TITLE I--END PRIOR APPROVAL AND REGISTRATION SYSTEM
SEC. 101. PROHIBITION ON PRIOR RESTRAINTS FOR ACQUISITION OR
POSSESSION.
(a) In General.--No law, regulation, rule, or policy of the
District may require any person to obtain, before acquiring, receiving,
possessing, or bringing into the District a firearm otherwise lawful
under Federal law, any license, certificate, registration, approval,
permit, or other authorization as a condition precedent to such
acquisition, receipt, possession, or importation.
(b) No Criminal Liability for Mere Lack of Prior Approval.--No
person may be arrested, prosecuted, or subjected to criminal penalties
under District law solely because the person acquired, received,
possessed, or brought into the District a firearm without first
obtaining District authorization described in subsection (a), if the
person is not a prohibited person under Federal law.
SEC. 102. REPEAL OF DISTRICT FIREARM REGISTRATION SYSTEM; CONFORMING
PROVISIONS.
(a) Repeal of Registration System.--The District may not require
the registration of any privately owned firearm. Any provision of
District law, regulation, rule, or policy requiring registration of a
firearm, conditioning lawful possession on registration, or imposing
any penalty for failure to register a firearm is hereby repealed and
shall have no force or effect.
(b) Conforming Repeal and Premption.--Any District provision that--
(1) establishes or authorizes a registry of firearms;
(2) requires a registration certificate, registration card,
or proof of registration;
(3) makes lawful possession, transport, storage, use,
purchase, sale, transfer, carrying, or receipt of a firearm
contingent upon registration; or
(4) authorizes seizure, forfeiture, or arrest solely for a
registration-related violation, is preempted and may not be
enforced.
(c) Prohibition on Alternative Registration Schemes.--The District
may not establish or maintain any system that, in purpose or effect,
functions as a firearm registration requirement, including any
requirement to report or record firearm identifying information as a
precondition to lawful possession, purchase, transfer, transport, or
carrying, except to the extent such information is collected by a
Federal firearms licensee as required under Federal law.
(d) Records and Data.--
(1) Cessation of collection.--Beginning on the effective
date of this Act, the District may not accept, process, or
require any registration application, registration renewal, or
registration amendment for any firearm.
(2) Disposition of existing records.--Not later than 180
days after the effective date of this Act, the District shall
destroy each firearm registration record in the possession of
the District, including database entries, paper records, and
electronic files, except records that are evidence in a pending
criminal prosecution or are required to be retained by Federal
law.
(3) No use for enforcement.--No firearm registration record
possessed by the District on or after the effective date of
this Act may be used as a basis for probable cause, reasonable
suspicion, or any adverse action against any person.
(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to alter Federal background check requirements under section
922(t) of title 18, United States Code, or Federal prohibitions on
possession by prohibited persons under section 922(g) of title 18,
United States Code.
TITLE II--COMMON FIREARMS PROTECTION; BAN FEATURE-BASED PROHIBITIONS;
REPEAL OF PROHIBITION ON LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION FEEDING DEVICE
SEC. 201. PREEMPTION OF FEATURE-BASED AND ASSAULT WEAPON BANS.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of District of
Columbia law, no law, regulation, rule, or policy of the District may
prohibit the possession, acquisition, sale, transfer, transport, or use
of any firearm on the basis of--
(1) the firearm being semiautomatic;
(2) the capacity to accept a detachable magazine; or
(3) any feature, characteristic, component, or
configuration that is based on appearance, ergonomics, or other
nonfunctional or commonly possessed attributes, including a
pistol grip, adjustable stock, barrel shroud or handguard,
muzzle device, threaded barrel, forward grip, or accessory
rail.
(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to permit possession of firearms prohibited under Federal
law, including items regulated under the National Firearms Act (26
U.S.C. 5801 et seq.), except to the extent Federal law otherwise
permits such possession.
(c) Conforming Preemption.--Any District of Columbia provision
defining or prohibiting assault weapons (or substantially similar term)
in a manner inconsistent with this section is hereby preempted and
shall have no force or effect.
SEC. 202. REPEAL OF PROHIBITION ON LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION FEEDING
DEVICE.
Sections 601(b) and 601(c) of the Firearms Control Regulations Act
of 1975 are hereby repealed.
TITLE III--CONCEALED CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY
SEC. 301. CONCEALED CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY.
(a) In General.--Any person 21 years of age or older who is not a
prohibited person and can otherwise legally own a firearm under Federal
law may carry a concealed handgun in the District without any District-
issued license or permit.
(b) No Prior Restraint.--The District may not require any license,
permit, training, fingerprinting, good cause, suitability
determination, or other discretionary or nondiscretionary prerequisite
as a condition to carrying a firearm concealed.
(c) Sensitive Places.--The District may prohibit concealed carry
only in locations where prohibitions are consistent with the
Constitution and Federal law, including--
(1) secure areas of law enforcement facilities;
(2) courthouses and courtrooms;
(3) detention facilities;
(4) polling places on election day (as narrowly tailored);
(5) a school zone, consistent with the terms of 18 U.S.C.
921(a) and 922(q); and
(6) any place where possession is prohibited by Federal
statute.
(d) Private Property.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
limit the right of a private property owner to restrict or prohibit
firearms on the owner's property, provided that such owner shall give
notice of any such prohibition or restriction by posting a sign at any
publicly accessible entrance to the property or by express notice to
individuals entering the property.
(e) Optional Licensing.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
prohibit the District from issuing a carry credential on an optional
basis for residents seeking reciprocity in other jurisdictions,
provided that such a credential is not required for any person to carry
concealed within the District under this Act.
(f) Open Carry.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require
the District to permit open carry. The District's laws restricting or
prohibiting the open carrying of firearms, to the extent otherwise
consistent with the Constitution, shall not be preempted by this Act.
TITLE IV--MODERNIZE COMMERCE: DISTRICT RESIDENTS AS ``IN-STATE'' BUYERS
FOR VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND FEDERAL FIREARM LICENSE PURCHASES
SEC. 401. AUTHORITY FOR LICENSEES IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND TO TRANSFER
FIREARMS TO DISTRICT RESIDENTS.
(a) In General.--Section 922(b)(3) of title 18, United States code
is amended by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting ``, and
(c) shall not apply to the sale or delivery of a firearm by a licensee
whose licensed premises are located in the Commonwealth of Virginia or
the State of Maryland to a resident of the District of Columbia if (i)
the transferee appears in person at the licensee's premises; (ii) the
transfer is completed in compliance with section 922(t) (including a
NICS background check or a lawful alternative under Federal law); (iii)
the transferee is not a prohibited person; and (iv) the sale, delivery,
and receipt would be lawful if the transferee were a resident of the
State in which the licensee's premises are located, except that the
District of Columbia shall not be treated as a `State' for purposes of
imposing any additional restriction;''.
(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to--
(1) alter Federal prohibitions on possession or receipt of
firearms by prohibited persons; or
(2) alter Federal requirements applicable to licensees,
including recordkeeping.
(c) Conforming Guidance.--The Attorney General shall, not later
than 60 days after enactment, update any implementing guidance
necessary to ensure NICS and licensee compliance for transfers
authorized by this section.
TITLE V--PREEMPTION, ENFORCEMENT, AND EFFECTIVE DATE
SEC. 501. PREEMPTION OF INCONSISTENT DISTRICT LAWS.
(a) In General.--This Act supersedes and preempts any law,
regulation, rule, or policy of the District that is inconsistent with
this Act, and such inconsistent provisions shall have no force or
effect.
(b) Anti-Circumvention.--The District may not enforce any portion
of a preempted provision by reissuing it under a different name,
authority, or rulemaking vehicle.
SEC. 502. ENFORCEMENT; CAUSE OF ACTION; ATTORNEYS' FEES.
(a) Cause of Action.--Any person adversely affected by a violation
of this Act, or by the enforcement or threatened enforcement of a
District law preempted by this Act, may bring a civil action in the
United States District Court for the District of Columbia for
declaratory and injunctive relief.
(b) Remedies.--In an action under subsection (a), the court may
award appropriate relief, including--
(1) declaratory relief;
(2) temporary, preliminary, and permanent injunctive
relief;
(3) compensatory damages (where otherwise available); and
(4) reasonable attorneys' fees and costs to a prevailing
plaintiff.
SEC. 503. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall take effect on
the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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