Innovate Less Lethal to De-Escalate Tax Modernization Act
Sponsored By: Representative Schweikert
In Committee
Summary
Modernizes tax and National Firearms Act rules to treat certain less‑than‑lethal weapons differently. The bill would exempt defined less‑than‑lethal projectile devices and related projectiles from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition and add them to NFA exemptions while creating a classification and annual review process.
Show full summary
- Manufacturers, importers, and producers would get a formal route to ask the Treasury Secretary whether a product qualifies as a less‑than‑lethal device, with the Secretary required to decide within 90 days and a 180‑day de facto grace period for requests after enactment.
- Buyers and sellers of devices that meet the bill's definition would see those devices and their shells/cartridges exempted from the federal excise tax and placed outside the National Firearms Act's regulated list.
- Regulators and Congress would get more transparency through a required public annual list of qualifying devices, a second list for devices whose projectiles exceed 500 feet per second, and an annual report explaining inclusion and exclusion decisions.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Lower excise tax on less-lethal devices
If enacted, the bill would exempt certain less-than-lethal projectile devices, matching shells or cartridges, and devices on the Secretary's annual list from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. The bill would define qualifying devices and exclude devices whose projectiles exceed 500 feet per second. Manufacturers, producers, or importers could request a device classification and the Secretary would have 90 days to decide. Requests made in the 180 days after enactment would be treated as received at the end of that period. The tax exemption would apply to articles sold by the manufacturer, producer, or importer after enactment. The Secretary would publish and update a public list of qualifying devices each year and a separate excluded list, and would report inclusion/exclusion reasons to the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees.
NFA exemption for less-lethal devices
If enacted, the bill would add a new exemption to the National Firearms Act for ‘‘less-than-lethal projectile devices’’ and for any device on the Secretary's most recent annual list. A device would qualify only if it meets the bill's definition or is on the Secretary's list. The definition includes limits such as not firing common handgun, rifle, or shotgun projectiles above 500 feet per second, being designed to avoid death or serious bodily injury, and not accepting certain common feeding devices. The change would take effect on enactment and would reduce NFA registration and related rules for qualifying owners, sellers, and makers.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Schweikert
AZ • R
Cosponsors
Stanton
AZ • D
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Fitzgerald
WI • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Fischbach
MN • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Tenney
NY • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Carey
OH • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Cuellar
TX • D
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Perez
WA • D
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Malliotakis
NY • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Miller (WV)
WV • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Rutherford
FL • R
Sponsored 7/17/2025
Stauber
MN • R
Sponsored 7/21/2025
Nehls
TX • R
Sponsored 7/21/2025
Johnson (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Moran
TX • R
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Finstad
MN • R
Sponsored 8/1/2025
Evans (CO)
CO • R
Sponsored 8/1/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 8/15/2025
Yakym
IN • R
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Gill (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 9/3/2025
McGuire
VA • R
Sponsored 9/16/2025
Vindman
VA • D
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Stutzman
IN • R
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Beatty
OH • D
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Mackenzie
PA • R
Sponsored 9/23/2025
Levin
CA • D
Sponsored 9/23/2025
Ezell
MS • R
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Veasey
TX • D
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Correa
CA • D
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Stevens
MI • D
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Hinson
IA • R
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Van Duyne
TX • R
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Maloy
UT • R
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Cline
VA • R
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Carter (LA)
LA • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Kennedy (UT)
UT • R
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Larson (CT)
CT • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Hern (OK)
OK • R
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Wittman
VA • R
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Boyle (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Kustoff
TN • R
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Thanedar
MI • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Feenstra
IA • R
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Steube
FL • R
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Miller (OH)
OH • R
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Boebert
CO • R
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Gray
CA • D
Sponsored 12/15/2025
Murphy
NC • R
Sponsored 12/16/2025
Clarke (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 1/15/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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