Firearm Importation Fairness Act of 2014

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4135 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4135

 To clarify the standard required for the importation of sporting arms 
            into the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 28, 2014

 Mr. Simpson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To clarify the standard required for the importation of sporting arms 
            into the United 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 ``Firearm Importation Fairness Act of 
2014''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Citizens have a fundamental, individual right, under 
        the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, to keep 
        and bear arms. The Supreme Court has held that the right to 
        self-defense, rather than ``sport'' is at the core of that 
        right.
            (2) Despite the meaning of the Second Amendment as 
        interpreted by the Supreme Court, section 925(d) of title 18, 
        United States Code, requires the Attorney General to approve 
        the importation of firearms into the United States for private 
        ownership, but generally only if the firearms are determined to 
        be suitable for or adaptable to ``sporting purposes''.
            (3) The Executive Branch has interpreted ``sporting 
        purposes'' in a narrow and obstructive manner, impeding 
        firearms imports, interfering with citizens' constitutional 
        rights, and diminishing consumer choice. These interpretations 
        have resulted in bans on the importation of firearms that are 
        completely legal to make, sell, and own in the United States.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To clarify the standard used to import firearms into 
        the United States.
            (2) To make it clear that firearms imports may not be 
        subject to discriminatory treatment, and that firearms should 
        be importable for all lawful purposes, including hunting, self 
        defense, collecting, competitive shooting, and plinking.
            (3) To prevent the further impediment of commerce by 
        allowing faster consideration of firearm import permits.

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF STANDARD FOR IMPORTATION OF FIREARMS.

    (a) Importation.--Section 922(l) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ``925(d) of this chapter'' and inserting 
``925''.
    (b) Exceptions.--Section 925 of such title is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``determined by 
                the Attorney General to be generally recognized as 
                particularly suitable for sporting purposes and''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``(A) determined 
                by the Attorney General to be generally recognized as 
                particularly suitable for sporting purposes, or 
                determined by the Department of Defense to be a type of 
                firearm normally classified as a war souvenir, and 
                (B)''; and
            (2) by striking subsections (d) through (f) and inserting 
        the following:
    ``(d)(1) Within 30 days after the Attorney General receives an 
application therefor, the Attorney General shall authorize a firearm or 
ammunition to be imported or brought into the United States or any 
possession thereof if--
            ``(A) the firearm or ammunition is being imported or 
        brought in for scientific or research purposes;
            ``(B) the firearm is an unserviceable firearm, other than a 
        machinegun as defined in section 5845(b) of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 (not readily restorable to firing 
        condition), imported or brought in as a curio or museum piece;
            ``(C) the firearm is not a firearm (as defined in section 
        5845(a) of such Code);
            ``(D) the ammunition is not armor piercing ammunition (as 
        defined in section 921(a)(17)(B) of this title), incendiary 
        ammunition, or tracer ammunition; or
            ``(E) the firearm or ammunition was previously taken out of 
        the United States or a possession by the person who is bringing 
        in the firearm or ammunition.
    ``(2) Within 30 days after the Attorney General receives an 
application therefor, the Attorney General shall permit the conditional 
importation or bringing in of a firearm or ammunition for examination 
and testing in connection with the making of a determination as to 
whether the importation or bringing in of the firearm or ammunition 
will be allowed under this subsection.
    ``(3) The Attorney General shall not authorize, under subsection 
(d), the importation of any firearm the importation of which is 
prohibited by section 922(p).''.
    (c) Domestic Manufacture.--Section 922 of such title is amended by 
striking subsection (r).

SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply to applications pending 
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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