United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 27 D cosponsors

HR 923 — Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025

Last action — Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 04, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 27 sponsors

    1 primary, 26 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (27 D).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill prohibits the importation and possession of .50 caliber rifles.

The Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025 aims to ban the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of rifles that can fire .50 caliber ammunition. It includes exceptions for government entities and grandfathered rifles possessed before the enactment date.

Summary

Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025This bill expands the regulation of .50 caliber rifles under federal firearms laws and authorizes new civil remedies for certain violations. Firearms that are trafficked from the United States to Mexico are often routed to transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), including cartels. In recent years, TCOs increasingly use .50 caliber rifles in attacks on Mexican security forces.In 2025, in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) bars a civil lawsuit by Mexico against U.S. firearms manufacturers and one U.S. firearms distributor for costs associated with gun violence in Mexico. (The PLCAA limits the civil liability of firearms manufacturers and sellers for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms.)This bill generally criminalizes the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of .50 caliber rifles under the Gun Control Act and subjects .50 caliber rifles to regulation (i.e., registration and licensing requirements) under the National Firearms Act.Additionally, the bill criminalizes the sale or transfer of firearms and ammunition to foreign individuals or entities designated as significant foreign narcotics traffickers or as part of their networks and sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).Finally, the bill creates an exception under the PLCAA to allow civil lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or sellers that knowingly sell or transfer a firearm or ammunition to a foreign individual or entity designated and sanctioned under the Kingpin Act.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

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Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds prohibitions on the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of .50 caliber rifles and amends related definitions and regulations.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 922

    (aa) Rifles Capable of Firing .50 Caliber Ammunition.--(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for any person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a rifle capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition.

    New prohibitions are introduced against dealing with .50 caliber rifles.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 922

    (2) Exceptions.--(A) Government use.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the importation for, manufacture for, sale to, transfer to, or possession by the United States, a department or agency of the United States, a State, or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a State, of a rifle capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition.

    Exceptions allow government entities to conduct transactions involving .50 caliber rifles.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 922

    (B) Grandfathered rifles.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the sale, transfer, or possession of any rifle otherwise lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of the Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025.

    Grandfather clause protects rifles legally owned before the enactment.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1)(B)

    or (q) → (q), or (aa)

    Updates the list of prohibited firearm categories including .50 caliber rifles.

  • 26 U.S.C. § 5845(a)

    and (8) a destructive device → (8) a destructive device; and (9) a rifle which is capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition and is lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of the Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025

    Adds .50 caliber rifles to the definition of firearms under the National Firearms Act.

  • 34 U.S.C. § 40901

    or that transfer of a firearm or ammunition to the individual would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922

    Makes NICS checks consider prohibitions based on new categories of prohibited individuals linked to significant foreign narcotics traffickers.

  • 34 U.S.C. § 40901

    or to whom transfer of a firearm would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922

    Expands the definitions within the NICS regulations to include conditions related to foreign narcotics traffickers.

  • 34 U.S.C. § 40901

    persons, → persons who are

    Clarifies language to specify individuals affected by prohibitions in firearm transfers.

  • 34 U.S.C. § 40901

    , or to whom transfer of a firearm would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922

    Reiterates conditions under which firearm transfers are restricted.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 923(g)(3)(A)

    pistols, or revolvers, or any combination of pistols and revolvers → pistols, revolvers, or rifles, or any combination of pistols, revolvers, and rifles

    Expands reporting requirements for multiple firearm sales to include rifles.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

  4. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 26 co-sponsors · 520 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (26)

Not signed on (520)

520 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 520 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety immigration civil-rights
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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 923 do?
Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025This bill expands the regulation of .50 caliber rifles under federal firearms laws and authorizes new civil remedies for certain violations. Firearms that are trafficked from the United States to Mexico are often routed to transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), including cartels. In recent years, TCOs increasingly use .50 caliber rifles in attacks on Mexican security forces.In 2025, in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) bars a civil lawsuit by Mexico against U.S. firearms manufacturers and one U.S. firearms distributor for costs associated with gun violence in Mexico. (The PLCAA limits the civil liability of firearms manufacturers and sellers for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms.)This bill generally criminalizes the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of .50 caliber rifles under the Gun Control Act and subjects .50 caliber rifles to regulation (i.e., registration and licensing requirements) under the National Firearms Act.Additionally, the bill criminalizes the sale or transfer of firearms and ammunition to foreign individuals or entities designated as significant foreign narcotics traffickers or as part of their networks and sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).Finally, the bill creates an exception under the PLCAA to allow civil lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or sellers that knowingly sell or transfer a firearm or ammunition to a foreign individual or entity designated and sanctioned under the Kingpin Act.
Who sponsors HR 923?
HR 923 is sponsored by Castro, Joaquin (Democratic), Escobar, Veronica (Democratic), Frost, Maxwell (Democratic), Ramirez, Delia C. (Democratic), Norton, Eleanor Holmes (Democratic), Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila (Democratic), Schakowsky, Janice D. (Democratic), Casar, Greg (Democratic), Brownley, Julia (Democratic), García, Jesús G. "Chuy" (Democratic), Grijalva, Raúl M. (Democratic), Magaziner, Seth (Democratic), Auchincloss, Jake (Democratic), Scanlon, Mary Gay (Democratic), Carbajal, Salud O. (Democratic), Vargas, Juan (Democratic), Garcia, Sylvia R. (Democratic), Williams, Nikema (Democratic), Goldman, Daniel S. (Democratic), DeLauro, Rosa L. (Democratic), Hayes, Jahana (Democratic), Lee, Summer L. (Democratic), Doggett, Lloyd (Democratic), Larson, John B. (Democratic), Simon, Lateefah (Democratic), Wasserman Schultz, Debbie (Democratic), and Tlaib, Rashida (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 923?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 04, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HR 923?
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