I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 719 

To require certain semiautomatic pistols manufactured, imported, or sold 

by Federal firearms licensees to be capable of microstamping ammunition, and to prohibit the removal, obliteration, or alteration of the microstamped code or microstamping capability of a firearm. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 23, 2019 

Mr. BROWN of Maryland (for himself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 

CARSON of Indiana, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLAY, 

Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

EVANS, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. HAYES, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. 

LAWSON of Florida, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mrs. 

MCBATH, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MOORE, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. 

NORTON, Ms. OMAR, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. RICHMOND, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, 

Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. VEASEY, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary 

A BILL 

To require certain semiautomatic pistols manufactured, imported, or sold by Federal firearms licensees to be capable of microstamping ammunition, and to prohibit the 

removal, obliteration, or alteration of the microstamped 

code or microstamping capability of a firearm. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Make Identifiable 

3 Criminal Rounds Obvious Act’’ or the ‘‘MICRO Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT CERTAIN SEMIAUTOMATIC 

5 PISTOLS MANUFACTURED, IMPORTED, OR 

6 SOLD BY FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES BE 

7 CAPABLE OF MICROSTAMPING AMMUNITION. 

8 Section 923 of title 18, United States Code, is 

9 amended by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(m)(1)(A) A person licensed under this chapter shall 

11 not manufacture, import, or transfer a semiautomatic pis12 tol to which this subparagraph applies that is not capable 

13 of microstamping ammunition. 

14 ‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), a pistol is 

15 capable of microstamping ammunition if— 

16 ‘‘(i) a microscopic array of characters that iden17 tify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol 

18 is etched into the breech face and firing pin of the 

19 pistol; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) when ammunition is fired from the pistol, 

21 the characters are copied from the breech face and 

22 firing pin onto the cartridge case of the ammunition. 

23 ‘‘(C) Subparagraph (A) shall apply only to semiauto24 matic pistols which— 


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1 ‘‘(i) are manufactured, or imported into the 

2 United States, on or after the effective date of this 

3 subsection; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) have not been transferred to a person not 

5 licensed under this chapter. 

6 ‘‘(2) Whoever violates paragraph (1) shall be fined 

7 an amount equal to— 

8 ‘‘(A) in the case of a first such violation by the 

9 violator, $1,000 multiplied by the number of semi10 automatic pistols involved in the violation; 

11 ‘‘(B) in the case of a second such violation by 

12 the violator, $2,000 multiplied by the number of 

13 semiautomatic pistols involved in the violation; or 

14 ‘‘(C) in the case of a third such violation by the 

15 violator, $3,000 multiplied by the number of semi16 automatic pistols involved in the violation.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON THE REMOVAL, OBLITERATION, 

18 OR ALTERATION OF THE MICROSTAMPED 

19 CODE OR MICROSTAMPING CAPABILITY OF A 

20 FIREARM. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 922 of title 18, United 

22 States Code, is amended by inserting after subsection (u) 

23 the following: 

24 ‘‘(v)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, 

25 obliterate, or alter the microstamped code or microVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:27 Feb 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H719.IH H719

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1 stamping capability of a firearm that has been shipped 

2 or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. 

3 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the replace4 ment of a firing pin that is damaged or worn, and is in 

5 need of replacement.’’. 

6 (b) PENALTIES.—Section 924 of such title is amend7 ed by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(q)(1)(A) In the case of a knowing violation of sec9 tion 922(v), the Attorney General may, after notice and 

10 opportunity for hearing— 

11 ‘‘(i) subject the violator to a civil penalty in an 

12 amount equal to not more than $5,000; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) if the violator is a licensed manufacturer, 

14 licensed importer, or licensed dealer, suspend for not 

15 more than 6 months, or revoke, any license issued 

16 to the licensee under this chapter. 

17 ‘‘(B) An action under subparagraph (A) may be re18 viewed only as provided under section 923(f). 

19 ‘‘(2) The suspension or revocation of a license or the 

20 imposition of a civil penalty under paragraph (1) shall not 

21 preclude any administrative remedy that is otherwise 

22 available to the Attorney General.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

2 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

3 on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment 

4 of this Act. 

Æ 


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