I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5398 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the age at which a 

rifle or shotgun may be acquired from a federally licensed firearms 

dealer, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 22, 2018 

Mr. DEUTCH (for himself, Mr. THOMAS J. ROONEY of Florida, Mr. CRIST, 

Mr. CURBELO of Florida, Mr. KING of New York, and Ms. JAYAPAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the 

age at which a rifle or shotgun may be acquired from 

a federally licensed firearms dealer, 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 ‘‘21 to Buy Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AGE AT WHICH A RIFLE OR SHOTGUN 

2 MAY BE ACQUIRED FROM A FEDERALLY LI3 CENSED FIREARMS DEALER. 

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

5 States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 

7 following: 

8 ‘‘(1) any firearm or ammunition to any indi9 vidual who the licensee knows or has reasonable 

10 cause to believe has not attained 21 years of age, 

11 unless the individual is— 

12 ‘‘(A) a law enforcement officer; 

13 ‘‘(B) a correctional officer; 

14 ‘‘(C) on active duty in the Armed Forces 

15 of the United States, or full-time duty in the 

16 National Guard; or 

17 ‘‘(D) a member of the Armed Forces of the 

18 United States or the National Guard who pos19 sesses or is armed with a firearm in the line of 

20 duty;’’. 

21 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 922(c)(1) 

22 of such title is amended by striking ‘‘, or that, in the case 

23 of a shotgun or a rifle, I am eighteen years or more of 

24 age’’ and inserting ‘‘or am a law enforcement officer, a 

25 correctional officer, on active duty in the Armed Forces 

26 of the United States or full-time duty in the National 


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1 Guard, or a member of the Armed Forces of the United 

2 States or the National Guard who possesses or is armed 

3 with a firearm in the line of duty’’. 

4 (c) DEFINITIONS.—Section 921(a) of such title is 

5 amended by inserting after paragraph (29) the following: 

6 ‘‘(30) The term ‘law enforcement officer’ means a 

7 person— 

8 ‘‘(A) who is elected, appointed, or employed by 

9 the Federal Government or by a State or political 

10 subdivision thereof; 

11 ‘‘(B) who is vested with authority to bear arms 

12 and make arrests; and 

13 ‘‘(C) whose primary responsibility is the preven14 tion and detection of crime or the enforcement of the 

15 penal, criminal, traffic, or highway laws, 

16 including any supervisory or command personnel whose 

17 duties include the supervision, training, guidance, or man18 agement of any such person. 

19 ‘‘(31) The term ‘correctional officer’ means a per20 son— 

21 ‘‘(A) who is appointed or employed by the Fed22 eral Government or by a State or political subdivi23 sion thereof, and whose primary responsibility is the 

24 supervision, protection, care, custody, and control, or 


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1 investigation, of inmates of a correctional institution; 

2 or 

3 ‘‘(B) who is employed by any private entity that 

4 has contracted with the Federal Government or a 

5 State or political subdivision thereof, and who has 

6 such a primary responsibility.’’. 

7 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

8 this section shall apply to conduct engaged in after the 

9 6-month period that begins with the date of enactment 

10 of this Act. 

Æ 


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