II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1588 

To repeal certain provisions of the Federal Switchblade Act to allow domestic 

manufacturers to ship and sell their products to buyers located in other 

States, to permit the importation of certain knife parts, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2019 

Mr. CRAPO (for himself and Mr. RISCH) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

A BILL 

To repeal certain provisions of the Federal Switchblade Act 

to allow domestic manufacturers to ship and sell their 

products to buyers located in other States, to permit 

the importation of certain knife parts, 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 ‘‘Freedom of Commerce 

5 Act’’. 


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•S 1588 IS

1 SEC. 2. REPEAL OF CERTAIN LAWS RELATED TO SWITCH2 BLADE KNIVES. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Act entitled ‘‘An Act to pro4 hibit the introduction, or manufacture for introduction, 

5 into interstate commerce of switchblade knives, and for 

6 other purposes’’, approved August 12, 1958 (commonly 

7 known as the ‘‘Federal Switchblade Act’’; 15 U.S.C. 1241 

8 et seq.), is amended by striking sections 1 through 4. 

9 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Chapter 83 of 

10 title 18, United States Code, is amended— 

11 (1) in section 1716— 

12 (A) by striking subsection (g); 

13 (B) by redesignating subsections (h) 

14 through (k) as subsections (g) through (j), re15 spectively; and 

16 (C) by striking subsection (h), as so redes17 ignated, and inserting the following: 

18 ‘‘(h)(1) All ballistic knives are nonmailable and shall 

19 not be deposited in or carried by the mails or delivered 

20 by any officer or employee of the Postal Service. Such 

21 knives may be conveyed in the mails, under such regula22 tions as the Postal Service shall prescribe— 

23 ‘‘(A) to civilian or Armed Forces supply or pro24 curement officers and employees of the Federal Gov25 ernment ordering, procuring, or purchasing such 


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1 knives in connection with the activities of the Fed2 eral Government; 

3 ‘‘(B) to supply or procurement officers of the 

4 National Guard, the Air National Guard, or militia 

5 of a State ordering, procuring, or purchasing such 

6 knives in connection with the activities of such orga7 nizations; 

8 ‘‘(C) to supply or procurement officers or em9 ployees of any State, or any political subdivision of 

10 a State or Territory, ordering, procuring, or pur11 chasing such knives in connection with the activities 

12 of such government; and 

13 ‘‘(D) to manufacturers of such knives or bona 

14 fide dealers therein in connection with any shipment 

15 made pursuant to an order from any person des16 ignated in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C). 

17 ‘‘(2) As used in this subsection, the term ‘ballistic 

18 knife’ means a knife with a detachable blade that is pro19 pelled by a spring-operated mechanism.’’; and 

20 (2) in section 1716E(i), by striking ‘‘section 

21 1716(k)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 1716(j)’’. 

22 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

23 this section— 

24 (1) shall take effect on the date of enactment 

25 of this Act; and 


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1 (2) shall not apply with respect to any indict2 ment, conviction, sentencing, appeal, civil or criminal 

3 fine or penalty obtained, forfeiture obtained, term of 

4 imprisonment, or any other enforcement action or 

5 proceeding occurring or commenced before the date 

6 of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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