Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§925D Special assistant U.S. attorneys and cross-deputized attorneys

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 44— - FIREARMS › § 925D

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General can appoint qualified state, tribal, territorial, and local prosecutors and U.S. attorneys to serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys to prosecute violations of paragraphs (8) and (9) of section 922(g). The Attorney General can also deputize state, tribal, territorial, and local law officers to help ATF agents investigate and respond to those violations. The Attorney General must pick at least 75 jurisdictions (states, territories, or tribes) with high rates of gun violence and threats against people covered by those paragraphs where local authorities lack resources. The Attorney General must make the appointments where stronger enforcement is needed to reduce gun deaths and injuries, and set up a point of contact in every ATF Field Division and every U.S. Attorney District Office to quickly handle local requests for help in intimate partner violence cases when there is probable cause of such violations. “Qualified” means a licensed attorney in good standing.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §925D

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In order to improve the enforcement of paragraphs (8) and (9) of section 922(g), the Attorney General may—
(1)appoint, in accordance with section 543 of title 28, qualified State, Tribal, territorial and local prosecutors and qualified attorneys working for the United States government to serve as special assistant United States attorneys for the purpose of prosecuting violations of such paragraphs; and
(2)deputize State, Tribal, territorial and local law enforcement officers for the purpose of enhancing the capacity of the agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in responding to and investigating violations of such paragraphs.
(b)The Attorney General shall—
(1)identify not fewer than 75 jurisdictions among States, territories and Tribes where there are high rates of firearms violence and threats of firearms violence against intimate partners and other persons protected under paragraphs (8) and (9) of section 922(g) and where local authorities lack the resources to address such violence;
(2)make such appointments as described in subsection (a) in jurisdictions where enhanced enforcement of such paragraphs is necessary to reduce firearms homicide and injury rates; and
(3)establish, in order to receive and expedite requests for assistance from State, Tribal, territorial, and local law enforcement agencies responding to intimate partner violence cases where such agencies have probable cause to believe that the offenders may be in violation of such paragraphs, points of contact within—
(A)each Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and
(B)each District Office of the United States Attorneys.
(c)For purposes of this section, the term “qualified” means, with respect to an attorney, that the attorney is a licensed attorney in good standing with any relevant licensing authority.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section not effective until Oct. 1 of the first fiscal year beginning after Mar. 15, 2022, see section 4(a) of div. W of Pub. L. 117–103, set out as a note under section 6851 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 925D

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73