Responsible Firearms Marketing Act

Summary

Requires the Federal Trade Commission to study how firearms are advertised and marketed, especially materials that may appeal to people under 18, encourage illegal use, or promote semiautomatic assault weapons, and to report findings and recommendations to Congress within two years. After the report, the FTC must complete notice-and-comment rulemaking (within 18 months of the report) to prohibit manufacturers, dealers, or importers from using unfair or deceptive advertising or marketing practices as described, with violations enforceable under the FTC Act. The law exempts the FTC's information collection for the study from the Paperwork Reduction Act and adopts federal criminal-law definitions for "firearm," "importer," "manufacturer," and "dealer." It preserves existing FTC authorities while creating a specific study-and-rulemaking pathway focused on firearms marketing practices.

• FTC must study firearms advertising that appeals to minors, encourages illegal use, or markets semiautomatic assault weapons and report to Congress within 2 years.
• Information collection for the FTC study is exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act.
• Within 18 months after the FTC report, the FTC must issue APA rulemaking to ban unfair or deceptive firearms advertising and marketing as identified.
• Violations of the new regulations are enforceable under the FTC Act with the FTC's usual powers and penalties.
• The law adopts federal Title 18 definitions for firearm, importer, manufacturer, and dealer.
• Existing FTC authorities are preserved while adding this specific study-and-rulemaking obligation.
• Regulated parties include firearm manufacturers, dealers, importers, and entities that create or distribute firearm ads.
• The rulemaking requirement creates a phased timeline: study → report → rulemaking, with specified deadlines.