# 116-hr-8821: Keeping Guns From Criminals Act

116-hr-8821, Keeping Guns From Criminals Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA); status Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8821
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-8821
- Congress: 116
- Title: Keeping Guns From Criminals Act
- Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced: 2020-11-27
- Sponsor: Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Keeping Guns From Criminals Act This bill modifies the criminal liability standard for certain firearm sales or transfers. Current law makes it a crime for any person to knowingly sell or transfer a firearm to a prohibited person (i.e., a person who is prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm). This legislation eliminates the knowingly standard to impose criminal liability on any person who sells or transfers a firearm to a prohibited person, regardless of whether such seller or transferor knows that the buyer is a prohibited person. A defendant seller or transferor may assert as an affirmative defense against prosecution evidence to prove that the buyer or recipient passed a background check or possessed a valid concealed carry permit in the state of transfer. The affirmative defense does not apply if the defendant knew or had reasonable cause to believe the buyer or recipient was a prohibited person.

## Related bills

- 116-hr-9027: COVID–19 Long Haulers Act
- 116-hr-8999: Transparent Leadership Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8998: To designate a peak in the State of Washington as "qʷəɬtmáyqn-ʔistiqayuʔ-Mount Cleator".
- 116-hr-8967: Federal All-Payer Claims Database Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8908: Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8884: To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to modify and extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes.

## Sources
- [116-hr-8821 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8821)

## Related
- [116-hr-9027: COVID–19 Long Haulers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-9027)
- [116-hr-8999: Transparent Leadership Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8999)
- [116-hr-8998: To designate a peak in the State of Washington as "qʷəɬtmáyqn-ʔistiqayuʔ-Mount…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8998)
- [116-hr-8967: Federal All-Payer Claims Database Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8967)
- [116-hr-8908: Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8908)
- [116-hr-8884: To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to modify and extend the Generalized System of P…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8884)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8821 (as of 2025-11-18).