I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1096
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent nonimmigrants from
possessing a firearm for other than lawful hunting or sporting purposes,
and to prevent permanent resident aliens from possessing a firearm
until present in the United States for 1 year.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 18, 1997
Mr. ACKERMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent non-
immigrants from possessing a firearm for other than
lawful hunting or sporting purposes, and to prevent per-
manent resident aliens from possessing a firearm until
present in the United States for 1 year.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PREVENTION OF FIREARMS POSSESSION BY
NONIMMIGRANT FOR OTHER THAN LAWFUL
HUNTING OR SPORTING PURPOSES, WITH EX-
CEPTION 
FOR 
DIPLOMATS 
AND 
THEIR
GUARDS; PREVENTION OF FIREARMS POS-
SESSION BY PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIEN
UNTIL PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES FOR
1 YEAR.
Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) by amending subsection (d)(5) to read as
follows:
‘‘(5) is an alien who—
‘‘(A) is illegally or unlawfully in the United
States;
‘‘(B) except as provided in subsection (y),
has been admitted to the United States under
a nonimmigrant visa (as defined in section
101(a)(26) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(26)); or
‘‘(C) has been lawfully present in the
United States for periods totalling less than 1
year;’’;
(2) by amending subsection (g)(5) to read as
follows:
‘‘(5) who is an alien who—
‘‘(A) is illegally or unlawfully in the United
States;
‘‘(B) except as provided in subsection (y),
has been admitted to the United States under
a nonimmigrant visa (as defined in section
101(a)(26) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(26)); or
‘‘(C) has been lawfully present in the Unit-
ed States for periods totalling less than 1
year;’’;
(3) by amending subsection (s)(3)(B)(v) to read
as follows:
‘‘(v) is not an alien who—
‘‘(I) is illegally or unlawfully in the
United States;
‘‘(II) except as provided in subsection
(y), has been admitted to the United
States under a nonimmigrant visa (as de-
fined in section 101(a)(26) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(26)); or
‘‘(III) has been lawfully present in the
United States for periods totalling less
than 1 year;’’; and
(4) by inserting after subsection (x) the follow-
ing:
‘‘(y)(1) 
Subsections 
(d)(5)(B), 
(g)(5)(B), 
and
(s)(3)(B)(v)(II) shall not apply to an alien who has been
lawfully admitted to the United States under a non-
immigrant visa, if the alien is—
‘‘(A) admitted to the United States for lawful
hunting or sporting purposes; or
‘‘(B) an official representative of a foreign gov-
ernment, or a guard employed by such a govern-
ment, who is—
‘‘(i) accredited to the United States Gov-
ernment or the government’s mission to an
international organization having its head-
quarters in the United States; or
‘‘(ii) en route to or from another country
to which the alien is accredited.
‘‘(2) As used in paragraph (1):
‘‘(A) The term ‘alien’ has the same meaning as
in section 101(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(3)).
‘‘(B) The term ‘nonimmigrant visa’ has the
same meaning as in section 101(a)(26) of the Immi-
gration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C.
1101(a)(26)).’’.
Æ