I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5460 
To direct the Department of Homeland Security to bolster security against 
threats posed by ghost guns, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi (for himself, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. THOMP-
SON of California, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. TITUS, 
Mr. SWALWELL, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. CORREA, Mr. CARTER of 
Louisiana, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. MAGAZINER, Mr. IVEY, Mr. GOLDMAN of 
New York, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California, Mrs. RAMIREZ, and Mr. 
MENENDEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Department of Homeland Security to bolster 
security against threats posed by ghost guns, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bolstering Security 
Against Ghost Guns Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY POLICY TO 
BOLSTER 
SECURITY 
AGAINST 
THREATS 
POSED BY GHOST GUNS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home-
land Security, acting through the Under Secretary for 
Strategy, Policy, and Plans of the Department of Home-
land Security, shall issue a Department-wide strategy to 
bolster security against threats posed by ghost guns. Such 
strategy shall— 
(1) identify activities across the Department re-
lated to ghost guns and approaches to enhance 
cross-component information sharing and collabora-
tion to improve prevention, preparedness, and re-
sponse to homeland security threats, such as an act 
of terrorism or targeted violence, associated with 
ghost guns; and 
(2) identify activities with Federal, State, local, 
Tribal, and territorial partners related to ghost guns 
and approaches to enhance the Department’s col-
laboration with such partners to improve prevention, 
preparedness, and response to homeland security 
threats, such as an act of terrorism or targeted vio-
lence, associated with ghost guns. 
(b) OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS AC-
TIVITIES.— 
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(1) USE
IN
TERRORIST
ACTIVITY.—Section 
5716 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92) is amend-
ed— 
(A) by amending subsection (a) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(a) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this subsection and annually 
thereafter, the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Anal-
ysis of the Department of Homeland Security, in consulta-
tion with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion, shall develop and submit to the entities in accordance 
with subsection (b) a report assessing homeland security 
threats of ghost guns and unfinished frames and receivers 
associated with a foreign terrorist organization or other 
individual in furtherance of an act of terrorism or targeted 
violence. Each report shall— 
‘‘(1) assess the range of sources for acquiring, 
manufacturing, and trafficking ghost guns and un-
finished frames and receivers; 
‘‘(2) identify each type of homeland security 
threat associated with ghost guns and unfinished 
frames and receivers; and 
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‘‘(3) specify the level of threat associated with 
each threat identified pursuant to paragraph (2).’’; 
and 
(B) by amending subsection (c) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ACT OF TERRORISM.—The term ‘act of 
terrorism’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 3077 of title 18, United States Code. 
‘‘(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence, the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(B) the Select Committee on Intelligence, 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs, and the Committee on the 
Judiciary of the Senate. 
‘‘(3) DOMESTIC
TERRORISM.—The term ‘do-
mestic terrorism’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 2331 of title 18, United States Code. 
‘‘(4) FOREIGN
TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘foreign terrorist organization’ means an 
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organization designated as a foreign terrorist organi-
zation under section 219 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189). 
‘‘(5) GHOST GUN.—The term ‘ghost gun’— 
‘‘(A) means a firearm, including a frame 
or receiver, that is privately made or which 
lacks a unique serial number engraved or cast 
by a licensed gunsmith, manufacturer, or im-
porter, or was removed, obliterated, or altered 
in accordance with chapter 44 of title 18, 
United States Code; and 
‘‘(B) does not include— 
‘‘(i) a firearm that has been rendered 
permanently inoperable; 
‘‘(ii) a firearm identified by means of 
a unique serial number assigned by a State 
agency and engraved or cast on the fire-
arm before the effective date of this Act in 
accordance with a State law; 
‘‘(iii) a firearm manufactured or im-
ported before December 16, 1968, or un-
less the Attorney General has provided 
otherwise by regulation with respect to the 
specific make and model of firearm on or 
before January 1, 2024; or 
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‘‘(iv) a firearm identified as provided 
for under section 5842 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986. 
‘‘(6) TARGETED
VIOLENCE.—The term ‘tar-
geted violence’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 6418 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (6 U.S.C. 124h–1). 
‘‘(7) UNFINISHED FRAME OR RECEIVER.—The 
term ‘unfinished frame or receiver’ means— 
‘‘(A) a forged, cast, printed, extruded, or 
machined body or similar article that is de-
signed to, or may readily be completed, assem-
bled, or otherwise converted to, provide the 
housing or structure, without regard to whether 
such housing or structure has been indexed, 
drilled, or machined in any way, and without 
regard to whether such body or article is sold, 
distributed, or marketed with or for any associ-
ated template, jig, mold, equipment, tool, in-
structions, or guide; and 
‘‘(B) an object that is marketed or sold to 
become or be used as the frame or receiver of 
a functional firearm once completed, assembled, 
or converted.’’. 
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(2) CROSS-BORDER THREATS.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of 
the Department of Homeland Security, in coordina-
tion with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection, the Director of U.S. Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement, and the heads of other 
appropriate Federal partners, shall develop and dis-
seminate a homeland security threat assessment re-
garding cross-border threats associated with United 
States-sourced ghost guns and unfinished frames 
and receivers, with special attention to ghost guns 
and unfinished frames and receivers used by 
transnational criminal organizations involved in il-
licit activity that pose a threat to the border. 
(c) UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE ACTIVITIES.— 
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the United States Secret Serv-
ice, acting through the Chief of the National Threat As-
sessment Center, in coordination with appropriate Federal 
partners, shall carry out research and issue public reports 
that provide guidance on how to prevent, prepare for, and 
respond to homeland security threats, such as an act of 
terrorism or targeted violence, associated with ghost guns. 
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(d) TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 
ACTIVITIES.—Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Ad-
ministrator of the Transportation Security Administration 
shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate regard-
ing the number of violations of subsection (a) of section 
1540.111 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, and 
any other incidents involving the unauthorized carriage of 
a firearm at a passenger screening checkpoint, including 
information regarding which such violations and incidents 
during the period of time covered by each such report were 
committed by individuals while receiving expedited screen-
ing, which were repeat offenses, and which involved a 
ghost gun. Such reporting shall also include information 
regarding trends in the rates of violations and incidents 
on a per passenger basis, as well as a description of Trans-
portation Security Administration efforts during the pe-
riod of time covered by each such report to increase public 
awareness of the prohibition of unauthorized carriage of 
a firearm at a passenger screening checkpoint. 
(e) U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT 
ACTIVITIES.—Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Director of U.S. Immigra-
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tion and Customs Enforcement, acting through the Execu-
tive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investiga-
tions, shall, in coordination with the Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection and appropriate Federal 
partners— 
(1) prepare an analysis that includes data from 
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explo-
sives and other Federal partners regarding home-
land security threats, including border security 
threats, and cross-border illicit smuggling trends and 
patterns associated with United States-sourced fire-
arms, including ghost guns, recovered in Mexico; 
(2) research and develop a mechanism to share 
aggregated Federal information regarding United 
States-sourced firearms, including ghost guns, recov-
ered in Mexico in support of carrying out subsection 
(a); and 
(3) develop performance measures to assess the 
effectiveness of U.S. Immigration and Customs En-
forcement activities aimed at combatting homeland 
security threats, including border security threats, 
and illicit cross-border activities involving United 
States-sourced firearms, including ghost guns. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) ACT OF TERRORISM.—The term ‘‘act of ter-
rorism’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
3077 of title 18, United States Code. 
(2) FIRE
CONTROL
COMPONENT.—The term 
‘‘fire control component’’ means a component nec-
essary for a firearm to initiate or complete the firing 
sequence, including a hammer, bolt or breechblock, 
cylinder, trigger mechanism, firing pin, striker, and 
slide rails. 
(3) FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘foreign terrorist organization’’ means an or-
ganization designated as a foreign terrorist organiza-
tion under section 219 of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189). 
(4) GHOST GUN.—The term ‘‘ghost gun’’— 
(A) means a firearm, including a frame or 
receiver, that is privately made or which lacks 
a unique serial number engraved or cast by a 
licensed gunsmith, manufacturer, or importer, 
or was removed, obliterated, or altered in ac-
cordance with chapter 44 of title 18, United 
States Code; and 
(B) does not include— 
(i) a firearm that has been rendered 
permanently inoperable; 
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(ii) a firearm identified by means of a 
unique serial number assigned by a State 
agency and engraved or cast on the fire-
arm before the effective date of this Act in 
accordance with a State law; 
(iii) a firearm manufactured or im-
ported before December 16, 1968, or un-
less the Attorney General has provided 
otherwise by regulation with respect to the 
specific make and model of firearm on or 
before January 1, 2024; or 
(iv) a firearm identified as provided 
for under section 5842 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986. 
(5) TARGETED VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘targeted 
violence’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
6418 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2022 (6 U.S.C. 124h–1). 
(6) UNFINISHED
FRAME
OR
RECEIVER.—The 
term ‘‘unfinished frame or receiver’’ means— 
(A) a forged, cast, printed, extruded, or 
machined body or similar article that is de-
signed to, or may readily be completed, assem-
bled, or otherwise converted to, provide the 
housing or structure, without regard to whether 
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such housing or structure has been indexed, 
drilled, or machined in any way, and without 
regard to whether such body or article is sold, 
distributed, or marketed with or for any associ-
ated template, jig, mold, equipment, tool, in-
structions, or guide; and 
(B) an object that is marketed or sold to 
become or be used as the frame or receiver of 
a functional firearm once completed, assembled, 
or converted. 
Æ 
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