South OC Times

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) and House Republican Conference Chair Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) introduced the Modern Firearm Safety Act, aimed at preventing states from enacting unconstitutional “handgun rosters” that restrict access to modern handgun models.

“Handgun rosters are a tactic that serves only a single purpose: to undermine the Second Amendment under the cynical pretense of firearm safety. These rosters impose excessive and unnecessary requirements that only restrict access to modern firearms equipped with the most up-to-date safety features,” said Rep. Issa. “I’m proud to join Chairwoman Stefanik in defending our sacred constitutional rights and ending these unjust restrictions.”

“I am proud to introduce the Modern Firearm Safety Act to put a stop to the unconstitutional gun-grabbing agenda pushed on law-abiding American citizens by Far-Left Democrats like Kathy Hochul. My legislation would ban Albany Democrats from imposing illegal handgun roster requirements meant to deter gun ownership. I will always stand up for our Second Amendment rights and provide a critical check to any entity attempting to encroach on their liberties,” said Rep. Stefanik.

California, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia have already enacted restrictive handgun rosters, with others considering similar measures. These rosters currently mandate that firearms include costly and unnecessary features such as loaded chamber indicators, magazine disconnect mechanisms, and microstamping technology. This makes it nearly impossible for manufacturers to introduce new handgun models.

The Modern Firearm Safety Act prohibits states from enforcing these restrictive requirements, ensuring that citizens have access to the most up-to-date and safe firearms available. Additionally, the legislation aligns with a recent 2024 federal court ruling that found California's handgun roster requirements unconstitutional.

Additional cosponsors of the Modern Firearm Safety Act include Reps. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Mike Collins (GA-10), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Andy Harris (MD-01), and Andy Biggs (AZ-05).

The bill has received support from several organizations:

National Rifle Association (NRA)

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF)

Peace Officer’s Research Association of California (PORAC)

National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)

Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC)

“The Modern Firearm Safety Act contains positive provisions that would bar abusive laws and administrative rules that are designed to stifle firearms technology and/or limit access to mainstream firearms in common use by law-abiding Americans and sportsmen. Overall, the cited bill’s provisions are beneficial to law-abiding sportsmen, lawfully armed Americans, and the industry—and FRAC strongly supports such provisions,” said Travis White, President & CEO of FRAC.

The bill text can be found here.