I 

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. 

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 ‘‘Firearm Importation 

5 Fairness Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Citizens have a fundamental, individual 

9 right, under the Second Amendment to the United 

10 States Constitution, to keep and bear arms. The SuVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:29 Mar 05, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4135.IH H4135

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1 preme Court has held that the right to self-defense, 

2 rather than ‘‘sport’’ is at the core of that right. 

3 (2) Despite the meaning of the Second Amend4 ment as interpreted by the Supreme Court, section 

5 925(d) of title 18, United States Code, requires the 

6 Attorney General to approve the importation of fire7 arms into the United States for private ownership, 

8 but generally only if the firearms are determined to 

9 be suitable for or adaptable to ‘‘sporting purposes’’. 

10 (3) The Executive Branch has interpreted 

11 ‘‘sporting purposes’’ in a narrow and obstructive 

12 manner, impeding firearms imports, interfering with 

13 citizens’ constitutional rights, and diminishing con14 sumer choice. These interpretations have resulted in 

15 bans on the importation of firearms that are com16 pletely legal to make, sell, and own in the United 

17 States. 

18 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol19 lows: 

20 (1) To clarify the standard used to import fire21 arms into the United States. 

22 (2) To make it clear that firearms imports may 

23 not be subject to discriminatory treatment, and that 

24 firearms should be importable for all lawful purVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:29 Mar 05, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4135.IH H4135

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1 poses, including hunting, self defense, collecting, 

2 competitive shooting, and plinking. 

3 (3) To prevent the further impediment of com4 merce by allowing faster consideration of firearm im5 port permits. 

6 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF STANDARD FOR IMPORTATION 

7 OF FIREARMS. 

8 (a) IMPORTATION.—Section 922(l) of title 18, United 

9 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘925(d) of this chap10 ter’’ and inserting ‘‘925’’. 

11 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—Section 925 of such title is 

12 amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a)— 

14 (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘deter15 mined by the Attorney General to be generally 

16 recognized as particularly suitable for sporting 

17 purposes and’’; and 

18 (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘(A) de19 termined by the Attorney General to be gen20 erally recognized as particularly suitable for 

21 sporting purposes, or determined by the De22 partment of Defense to be a type of firearm 

23 normally classified as a war souvenir, and (B)’’; 

24 and 


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1 (2) by striking subsections (d) through (f) and 

2 inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘(d)(1) Within 30 days after the Attorney General 

4 receives an application therefor, the Attorney General 

5 shall authorize a firearm or ammunition to be imported 

6 or brought into the United States or any possession there7 of if— 

8 ‘‘(A) the firearm or ammunition is being im9 ported or brought in for scientific or research pur10 poses; 

11 ‘‘(B) the firearm is an unserviceable firearm, 

12 other than a machinegun as defined in section 

13 5845(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (not 

14 readily restorable to firing condition), imported or 

15 brought in as a curio or museum piece; 

16 ‘‘(C) the firearm is not a firearm (as defined in 

17 section 5845(a) of such Code); 

18 ‘‘(D) the ammunition is not armor piercing am19 munition (as defined in section 921(a)(17)(B) of 

20 this title), incendiary ammunition, or tracer ammu21 nition; or 

22 ‘‘(E) the firearm or ammunition was previously 

23 taken out of the United States or a possession by 

24 the person who is bringing in the firearm or ammu25 nition. 


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1 ‘‘(2) Within 30 days after the Attorney General re2 ceives an application therefor, the Attorney General shall 

3 permit the conditional importation or bringing in of a fire4 arm or ammunition for examination and testing in connec5 tion with the making of a determination as to whether 

6 the importation or bringing in of the firearm or ammuni7 tion will be allowed under this subsection. 

8 ‘‘(3) The Attorney General shall not authorize, under 

9 subsection (d), the importation of any firearm the impor10 tation of which is prohibited by section 922(p).’’. 

11 (c) DOMESTIC MANUFACTURE.—Section 922 of such 

12 title is amended by striking subsection (r). 

13 SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY. 

14 The amendments made by this Act shall apply to ap15 plications pending on or after the date of the enactment 

16 of this Act. 

Æ 


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