WASHINGTON – On Friday, New Hampshire’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2022, a bill that would make it a crime to knowing import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD), excluding grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs.
“Reinstating a ban on the sale of assault weapons is an important step to save lives and promote public safety,” said U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01). “We are not powerless to do something about the senseless gun violence and mass shootings we see all across our country, and this legislation to keep dangerous, military-style weapons off our streets is a common sense measure that received bipartisan support today. Keeping our children and communities safe must be our top priority.”
“Families in New Hampshire and across the country should be able to go to schools, houses of worship, grocery stores, or anywhere in our communities without fear of mass shootings and gun violence,” said U.S. Representative Annie Kuster (D-NH-02) “We can and must prevent gun violence while protecting the rights of responsible gun owners. Weapons of war have no place in our communities. I was proud to help introduce the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 to protect Americans in the Granite State and across the country from mass shootings and prevent future tragedies. I hear from my constituents every single day that they want Congress to take action to protect our communities from gun violence – and that is exactly what the House is working to do by passing this bill.”
Five Democrats voted against the bill: Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), Jared Golden (D-ME-02), Vincente Gonzalez (D-TX-15), Ron Kind (D-WI-03) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05).
Two Republicans voted for the bill: Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27).
The SAWs and LCAFDs defined by the ban include
- All semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of the following military features:
- (1) pistol grip; (2) forward grip; (3) folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (4) grenade launcher; (5) barrel shroud, or (6) threaded barrel.
- All semiautomatic rifles that have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
- Bump fire stocks and any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machinegun.
- All semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of the following military features:
- (1) threaded barrel (2) second pistol grip (3) barrel shroud (4) capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip (5) semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.
- All semiautomatic shotguns that have at least one of the following:
- (1) a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock (2) pistol grip (3) fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 5 rounds (4) ability to accept a detachable magazine (5) forward grip (6) grenade launcher (7) shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
- Magazines capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
