Title: MICRO Act
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Make Identifiable Criminal Rounds Obvious Act or the MICRO Act
This bill requires certain semiautomatic pistols to be capable of microstamping ammunition. A pistol is capable of microstamping ammunition if (1) the characters that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol are etched into the breech face and firing pin of the pistol; and (2) these characters are copied onto the cartridge case of the ammunition when the pistol fires such ammunition.
Specifically, the bill prohibits a federal firearms licensee (e.g., a gun dealer) from manufacturing, importing, or transferring a semiautomatic pistol that is not capable of microstamping ammunition. Violators are subject to fines.
The bill also makes it unlawful for any person to remove, obliterate, or alter the microstamped code or microstamping capability of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Violators are subject to fines and suspension or revocation of any firearms license.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 719 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 719

  To require certain semiautomatic pistols manufactured, imported, or 
   sold by Federal firearms licensees to be capable of microstamping 
ammunition, and to prohibit the removal, obliteration, or alteration of 
    the microstamped code or microstamping capability of a firearm.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2019

  Mr. Brown of Maryland (for himself, Ms. Adams, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. 
Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cisneros, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Clay, Mr. 
 Cleaver, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Evans, Ms. 
 Fudge, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Hastings, Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Jackson Lee, 
Ms. Johnson of Texas, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Ms. 
 Lee of California, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mrs. McBath, Mr. McEachin, 
 Mr. Meeks, Ms. Moore, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Norton, Ms. Omar, Ms. Pressley, 
 Mr. Richmond, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Suozzi, 
Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Underwood, Mr. Veasey, and Mrs. Watson 
   Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require certain semiautomatic pistols manufactured, imported, or 
   sold by Federal firearms licensees to be capable of microstamping 
ammunition, and to prohibit the removal, obliteration, or alteration of 
    the microstamped code or microstamping capability of a firearm.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Make Identifiable Criminal Rounds 
Obvious Act'' or the ``MICRO Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT CERTAIN SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOLS MANUFACTURED, 
              IMPORTED, OR SOLD BY FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES BE 
              CAPABLE OF MICROSTAMPING AMMUNITION.

    Section 923 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(m)(1)(A) A person licensed under this chapter shall not 
manufacture, import, or transfer a semiautomatic pistol to which this 
subparagraph applies that is not capable of microstamping ammunition.
    ``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), a pistol is capable of 
microstamping ammunition if--
            ``(i) a microscopic array of characters that identify the 
        make, model, and serial number of the pistol is etched into the 
        breech face and firing pin of the pistol; and
            ``(ii) when ammunition is fired from the pistol, the 
        characters are copied from the breech face and firing pin onto 
        the cartridge case of the ammunition.
    ``(C) Subparagraph (A) shall apply only to semiautomatic pistols 
which--
            ``(i) are manufactured, or imported into the United States, 
        on or after the effective date of this subsection; and
            ``(ii) have not been transferred to a person not licensed 
        under this chapter.
    ``(2) Whoever violates paragraph (1) shall be fined an amount equal 
to--
            ``(A) in the case of a first such violation by the 
        violator, $1,000 multiplied by the number of semiautomatic 
        pistols involved in the violation;
            ``(B) in the case of a second such violation by the 
        violator, $2,000 multiplied by the number of semiautomatic 
        pistols involved in the violation; or
            ``(C) in the case of a third such violation by the 
        violator, $3,000 multiplied by the number of semiautomatic 
        pistols involved in the violation.''.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON THE REMOVAL, OBLITERATION, OR ALTERATION OF THE 
              MICROSTAMPED CODE OR MICROSTAMPING CAPABILITY OF A 
              FIREARM.

    (a) In General.--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after subsection (u) the following:
    ``(v)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, obliterate, 
or alter the microstamped code or microstamping capability of a firearm 
that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the replacement of a firing 
pin that is damaged or worn, and is in need of replacement.''.
    (b) Penalties.--Section 924 of such title is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
    ``(q)(1)(A) In the case of a knowing violation of section 922(v), 
the Attorney General may, after notice and opportunity for hearing--
            ``(i) subject the violator to a civil penalty in an amount 
        equal to not more than $5,000; and
            ``(ii) if the violator is a licensed manufacturer, licensed 
        importer, or licensed dealer, suspend for not more than 6 
        months, or revoke, any license issued to the licensee under 
        this chapter.
    ``(B) An action under subparagraph (A) may be reviewed only as 
provided under section 923(f).
    ``(2) The suspension or revocation of a license or the imposition 
of a civil penalty under paragraph (1) shall not preclude any 
administrative remedy that is otherwise available to the Attorney 
General.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that 
is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>