I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 511 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect more victims of domestic 

violence by preventing their abusers from possessing or receiving firearms, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 11, 2019 

Mr. BROWN of Maryland (for himself, Mr. BEYER, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, 

Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. 

BROWNLEY of California, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Ms. CLARK of 

Massachusetts, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, 

Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. HAALAND, 

Mrs. HAYES, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. KUSTER of New 

Hampshire, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of 

New York, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. MEEKS, 

Ms. MOORE, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. MOULTON, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OMAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PETERS, Mr. PRICE

of North Carolina, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. 

RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. SWALWELL of California, 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. 

HIMES, and Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect more 

victims of domestic violence by preventing their abusers 

from possessing or receiving firearms, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Domestic 

5 Violence and Stalking Victims Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS OF ‘‘INTIMATE PARTNER’’ AND ‘‘MIS7 DEMEANOR CRIME OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE’’ 

8 EXPANDED. 

9 Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is 

10 amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (32)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘and an individual’’ and in13 serting ‘‘an individual’’; and 

14 (B) by inserting ‘‘, or a dating partner (as 

15 defined in section 2266)’’ before the period at 

16 the end; and 

17 (2) in paragraph (33)(A)— 

18 (A) by striking ‘‘Except as provided in 

19 subparagraph (C), the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; 

20 (B) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘municipal,’’ 

21 after ‘‘State,’’; and 

22 (C) in clause (ii)— 

23 (i) by striking ‘‘or by’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘by’’; and 


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1 (ii) by inserting ‘‘, or by a dating 

2 partner (as defined in section 2266) of the 

3 victim’’ before the period at the end. 

4 SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF LIST OF PERSONS SUBJECT TO A 

5 RESTRAINING OR SIMILAR ORDER TO WHOM 

6 A FIREARM IS PROHIBITED FROM BEING 

7 SOLD OR DISPOSED. 

8 Section 922(d)(8) of title 18, United States Code, is 

9 amended— 

10 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

11 by striking ‘‘that’’; 

12 (2) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and 

13 inserting the following: 

14 ‘‘(A)(i) that was issued after a hearing of 

15 which such person received actual notice, and at 

16 which such person had an opportunity to par17 ticipate; or 

18 ‘‘(ii) in the case of an ex parte order, relat19 ing to which notice and opportunity to be heard 

20 are provided— 

21 ‘‘(I) within the time required by 

22 State, tribal, or territorial law; and 

23 ‘‘(II) in any event within a reasonable 

24 time after the order is issued, sufficient to 

25 protect the person’s right to due process; 


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1 ‘‘(B) that restrains such person from— 

2 ‘‘(i) harassing, stalking, threatening, 

3 or engaging in other conduct that would 

4 put an individual in reasonable fear of bod5 ily injury to such individual, including an 

6 order that was issued at the request of an 

7 employer on behalf of its employee or at 

8 the request of an institution of higher edu9 cation on behalf of its student; or 

10 ‘‘(ii) intimidating or dissuading a wit11 ness from testifying in court; and’’; and 

12 (3) in subparagraph (C)— 

13 (A) by striking ‘‘intimate partner or child’’ 

14 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘individual 

15 described in subparagraph (B)’’; 

16 (B) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘that’’ be17 fore ‘‘includes’’; and 

18 (C) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘that’’ be19 fore ‘‘by its’’. 

20 SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF LIST OF PERSONS SUBJECT TO A 

21 RESTRAINING OR SIMILAR ORDER PROHIB22 ITED FROM POSSESSING OR RECEIVING A 

23 FIREARM. 

24 Section 922(g)(8) of title 18, United States Code, is 

25 amended— 


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1 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

2 by striking ‘‘that’’; 

3 (2) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and 

4 inserting the following: 

5 ‘‘(A)(i) that was issued after a hearing of 

6 which such person received actual notice, and at 

7 which such person had an opportunity to par8 ticipate; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) in the case of an ex parte order, relat10 ing to which notice and opportunity to be heard 

11 are provided— 

12 ‘‘(I) within the time required by 

13 State, tribal, or territorial law; and 

14 ‘‘(II) in any event within a reasonable 

15 time after the order is issued, sufficient to 

16 protect the person’s right to due process; 

17 ‘‘(B) that restrains such person from— 

18 ‘‘(i) harassing, stalking, threatening, 

19 or engaging in other conduct that would 

20 put an individual in reasonable fear of bod21 ily injury to such individual, including an 

22 order that was issued at the request of an 

23 employer on behalf of its employee or at 

24 the request of an institution of higher edu25 cation on behalf of its student; or 


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1 ‘‘(ii) intimidating or dissuading a wit2 ness from testifying in court; and’’; and 

3 (3) in subparagraph (C)— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘intimate partner or child’’ 

5 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘individual 

6 described in subparagraph (B)’’; 

7 (B) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘that’’ be8 fore ‘‘includes’’; and 

9 (C) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘that’’ be10 fore ‘‘by its’’. 

11 SEC. 5. STALKING PROHIBITIONS. 

12 (a) SALES OR OTHER DISPOSITIONS OF FIREARMS

13 OR AMMUNITION.—Section 922(d) of title 18, United 

14 States Code, as amended by section 3 of this Act, is 

15 amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph 

17 (8); 

18 (2) by striking the period at the end of para19 graph (9) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

20 (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(10) has been convicted in any court of— 

23 ‘‘(A) a misdemeanor crime of stalking 

24 under Federal, State, municipal, territorial, or 

25 tribal law; or 


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1 ‘‘(B) a crime that involves conduct which 

2 would be prohibited by section 2261A if com3 mitted within the special maritime and terri4 torial jurisdiction of the United States.’’. 

5 (b) POSSESSION, ETC., OF FIREARMS OR AMMUNI6 TION.—Section 922(g) of such title, as amended by section 

7 4 of this Act, is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph 

9 (8); 

10 (2) by striking the comma at the end of para11 graph (9) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

12 (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(10) has been convicted in any court of— 

15 ‘‘(A) a misdemeanor crime of stalking 

16 under Federal, State, municipal, territorial, or 

17 tribal law; or 

18 ‘‘(B) a crime that involves conduct which 

19 would be prohibited by section 2261A if com20 mitted within the special maritime and terri21 torial jurisdiction of the United States,’’. 

Æ 


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