I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2971 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to require an alien lawfully admitted 

to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa to obtain the approval 

of the Attorney General before receiving a firearm, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 4, 2021 

Mr. CRIST (for himself, Mr. RUTHERFORD, and Mrs. DEMINGS) introduced 

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

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to require an alien 

lawfully admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa to obtain the approval of the Attorney 

General before receiving a firearm, 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 ‘‘Foreign National Fire5 arms Background Check Enhancement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT ALIEN LAWFULLY ADMITTED 

2 TO THE UNITED STATES UNDER A NON3 IMMIGRANT VISA OBTAIN THE APPROVAL OF 

4 THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BEFORE RECEIV5 ING A FIREARM. 

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

7 States Code, is amended— 

8 (1) in paragraph (2)— 

9 (A) by striking all that precedes subpara10 graph (B) and inserting the following: 

11 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsections (d)(5)(B) and 

12 (g)(5)(B) do not apply to the transfer or other dis13 position of a firearm to, or the possession or receipt 

14 of a firearm by, an alien who has been lawfully ad15 mitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant 

16 visa, if— 

17 ‘‘(A)(i) the alien has obtained a valid waiv18 er issued by the Attorney General under para19 graph (3), and, in the case of a transfer or 

20 other disposition, the transferor has received a 

21 copy of the waiver and verified the validity of 

22 the waiver with the Attorney General; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) the alien— 

24 ‘‘(I) is admitted to the United States 

25 for lawful hunting or sporting purposes or 


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1 is in possession of a hunting license or per2 mit lawfully issued in the United States; or 

3 ‘‘(II) has resided in the United States 

4 for a continuous period of not less than 

5 180 days before the date on which the pe6 tition is submitted under this paragraph;’’; 

7 (B) in each of subparagraphs (B) and (C), 

8 by inserting ‘‘the alien is’’ before ‘‘an official’’; 

9 and 

10 (C) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘the 

11 alien is’’ before ‘‘a foreign’’; and 

12 (2) in paragraph (3)— 

13 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

14 (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 

15 by striking ‘‘subsection’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘subsections (d)(5) and’’; and 

17 (ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘(C)’’ 

18 and inserting ‘‘(B)’’; 

19 (B) in subparagraph (B)— 

20 (i) by striking ‘‘under subparagraph 

21 (B) shall—’’ and all that follows through 

22 ‘‘(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’; 

23 (ii) by striking ‘‘, absent the applica24 tion of subsection (g)(5)(B),’’; and 


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1 (iii) by inserting ‘‘(d) or’’ before 

2 ‘‘(g)’’; 

3 (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘sub4 section’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (d)(5)(B) 

5 and’’; and 

6 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(D) VALIDITY OF WAIVER.—A waiver 

8 issued under this paragraph shall be valid for 

9 a term set by the Attorney General, which shall 

10 be not longer than 1 year from the date the pe11 tition for the waiver is approved.’’. 

12 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

13 subsection (a) shall take effect 180 days after the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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