GOSAFE Act (Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearms Exclusion)
Current understanding
Proposed federal legislation that would prohibit the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of gas-operated semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, backed by criminal penalties and a voluntary buyback program funded through Byrne JAG grants. The bill defines a novel statutory category — ‘gas-operated semiautomatic firearms’ — rather than relying on the feature-based definitions used in prior assault weapons bans, though it draws on the regulatory tradition of the NFA and 1994 AWB. Status: introduced. Practical effect on affected groups (current owners, manufacturers, FFLs, and prospective buyers) would depend on grandfathering provisions and buyback participation; opponents contend the scope sweeps in most modern semiautomatic rifles and many handguns and shotguns, while supporters frame it as targeting firearms most commonly used in mass shootings.
Evidence log
- 2025-04-09 — GOSAFE Act: cross-connection with stop-arming-cartels-act: Both bills expand federal prohibitions on categories of firearms (GOSAFE targeting gas-operated semiautomatics and large-capacity magazines; Stop Arming Cartels adding .50 caliber rifles to NFA coverage), reflecting a broader legislative pattern of category-based federal firearms restriction. (novelty: 3)