S. 2926Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 11:46 AM UTC

The Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2023 aims to curb the flow of powerful .50‑caliber rifles by banning their import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession in the United States, with limited exceptions for government use and rifles owned before the law. It also requires owners of pre‑existing .50‑caliber rifles to register them, expands liability for sellers who break the ban, and adds major foreign drug traffickers to the list of people prohibited from possessing firearms. The bill updates reporting and background‑check requirements to cover these new restrictions.

Key Provisions

Makes it illegal for anyone to import, sell, make, transfer, or own rifles that can fire .50‑caliber ammunition, except for the U.S. government, state agencies, or rifles that were already lawfully owned before the bill became law.
Adds .50‑caliber rifles (if they were owned before the law took effect) to the list of firearms that must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, with a one‑year deadline for owners to register them at no cost.
Expands the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act so manufacturers or sellers can be sued if they knowingly sell or try to sell a .50‑caliber rifle that is prohibited under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
Adds “significant foreign narcotics traffickers” and other foreign persons designated under the Kingpin Act to the list of people barred from possessing firearms under federal law, and updates background‑check rules to reflect that ban.
Changes multiple‑firearm‑sale reporting rules to include rifles along with pistols and revolvers.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4680-4682)

Finance Committee

September 26, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 26, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4680-4682)

Finance Committee

September 26, 2023

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 2926 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Sep 26, 2023

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Sep 26, 2023

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 26, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2926

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 26 (legislative day, September 22), 2023

Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Welch, Mr. Kelly, and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of .50 caliber rifles, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2023.

Prohibition on rifles capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition

(a)

In general

Chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in section 922, by adding at the end the following:

(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.

(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.

(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 2023.

; and

(2)

in section 924(a)(1)(B), by striking or (q) and inserting (q), or (aa).

(b)

Inclusion of certain rifles as firearms under National Firearms Act

(1)

In general

Section 5845(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking and (8) a destructive device and inserting (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 2023.

(2)

Effective date

(A)

In general

Subject to subparagraph (B), the amendments made by this subsection shall take effect on the date which is 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

(B)

Registration

(i)

In general

Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) or any other provision of law, any person possessing a rifle which is capable of firing .50 caliber ammunition which is not registered to such person in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record shall register each such rifle so possessed with the Secretary in such form and manner as the Secretary may require within the 12-month period immediately following the date of enactment of this Act. No fee or tax shall be imposed with respect to any registration required under this subparagraph.

(ii)

Inclusion in registry

Any registration described in clause (i) shall become a part of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. No information or evidence required to be submitted or retained by a natural person to register a firearm under this subparagraph shall be used, directly or indirectly, as evidence against such person in any criminal proceeding with respect to a prior or concurrent violation of law.

(C)

Definitions

In this paragraph:

(i)

National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record

The term National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record means the registry established pursuant to section 5841 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(ii)

Secretary

The term Secretary has the same meaning given such term under section 7701(a)(11)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Exception to coverage under Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act

Section 4(5)(A) of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (15 U.S.C. 7903(5)(A)) is amended—

(1)

in clause (v), by striking or at the end;

(2)

in clause (vi), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(vii)

an action brought against a manufacturer or seller that knowingly sells or transfers a qualified product, or attempts or conspires to do so, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the transaction is prohibited under section 805(c) of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1904(c)).

Federal firearm prohibitor for significant foreign narcotics traffickers and certain other foreign persons

(a)

In general

Section 922(d) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (10), by striking or at the end;

(2)

by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12);

(3)

by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:

(11)

is—

(A)

a significant foreign narcotics trafficker publicly identified by the President in a report under subsection (b) or (h)(1) of section 804 of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1903); or

(B)

a foreign person designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 805(b) of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1904(b)); or

; and

(4)

in paragraph (12), as so redesignated, by striking (10) and inserting (11).

(b)

Conforming amendments relating to NICS

Section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (34 U.S.C. 40901) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b)(2)(D), by inserting or that transfer of a firearm or ammunition to the individual would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922 after section 922 of title 18, United States Code,;

(2)

in subsection (e)(1)—

(A)

in subparagraph (A), by inserting or to whom transfer of a firearm would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922, after section 922 of title 18, United States Code or State law,;

(B)

in subparagraph (C), by inserting or that transfer of a firearm or ammunition to the person would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922, after section 922 of title 18, United States Code,;

(C)

in subparagraph (F)(iii)(I), by striking (g) or (n) and inserting (d)(11), (g), or (n); and

(D)

in subparagraph (G)(i), by striking (g) or (n) and inserting (d)(11), (g), or (n);

(3)

in subsection (g), by inserting or that transfer of a firearm to a prospective transferee would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922, after section 922 of title 18, United States Code or State law,; and

(4)

in subsection (i)(2)—

(A)

by striking persons, and inserting persons who are; and

(B)

by inserting before the period at the end the following: , or to whom transfer of a firearm would violate subsection (d)(11) of such section 922.

Adding rifles to multiple firearm sales reporting requirements

Section 923(g)(3)(A) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking pistols, or revolvers, or any combination of pistols and revolvers and inserting pistols, revolvers, or rifles, or any combination of pistols, revolvers, and rifles.