Sponsors (19)
The bill tightens access to handguns and high-capacity semiautomatic firearms for those under 21 and clarifies weapon definitions to aid enforcement, trading likely public-safety benefits for reduced ownership rights for 18–20‑year‑olds plus added compliance costs and legal uncertainty for owners, sellers, and government.
People under 21 will have reduced access to handguns, semiautomatic assault weapons, and large-capacity magazines, likely lowering youth firearm possession and reducing youth-involved shootings.
Reduced limits on semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity feeding devices could lower the availability of high-capacity firearms used in mass shootings, potentially reducing lethality of such events.
Clear statutory definitions for pistol, shotgun, assault weapon, and large-capacity device improve enforcement consistency for federal authorities and courts.
Adults aged 18–20 will be prohibited from possessing many handguns and semiautomatic weapons, substantially limiting lawful ownership and self-defense options for this age group.
Broad, technical product and feature definitions could criminalize common accessories and many commercially sold firearms, risking overcriminalization and uneven enforcement.
Compliance and enforcement (recordkeeping, potential buybacks, litigation) will impose costs on owners, retailers, and government agencies.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds detailed federal definitions for "semiautomatic pistol," "semiautomatic shotgun," and a broad "semiautomatic assault weapon" category based on features, magazine thresholds, and parts.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress February 13, 2025
Adds new federal definitions to the criminal firearms code for “semiautomatic pistol,” “semiautomatic shotgun,” and a broad category called “semiautomatic assault weapon,” and gives examples and technical criteria that place particular rifles, pistols, shotguns, and parts/accessories into that assault-weapon category. The Act’s short title is the "Age 21 Act." The text provided focuses on adding those definitions and feature thresholds; it does not itself include an age-related purchase or possession rule in the material supplied.