Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced
Summary
Ban on .50 caliber rifles and new legal tools to cut off access to those weapons by foreign drug traffickers. The bill bars most import, manufacture, sale, transfer, and new possession of rifles that fire .50 caliber rounds and brings them under National Firearms Act registration and transfer controls.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Ban and registration for .50 rifles
If enacted, the bill would make it illegal to import, sell, make, transfer, or have a rifle that can fire .50 caliber ammo in interstate or foreign commerce, with narrow exceptions for the U.S. government and states. Rifles lawfully owned on the date of enactment would be grandfathered, but owners would have 12 months after enactment to register any unregistered grandfathered rifle in the federal NFA registry. Registration would be free, could not be taxed or charged a fee, and registration information could not be used as evidence in some criminal cases. Dealers would also have to report multiple sales of rifles like they now report multiple pistol sales.
New lawsuit option for gun sellers
If enacted, the bill would allow civil lawsuits against gun makers or sellers who knowingly sell or try to sell firearms in transactions they knew or should have known were prohibited under the Kingpin Act. This removes part of the usual immunity for manufacturers and sellers in those specific cases and could raise legal and insurance costs.
Ban on weapons for Kingpin designees
If enacted, the bill would bar people named by the President or the Treasury as major foreign drug traffickers from receiving firearms under federal law. This applies to people designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The ban would take effect on enactment.
New background checks for Kingpin transfers
If enacted, the bill would change Brady Act and NICS rules so transfers to people barred by the Kingpin designation count as prohibited in background checks. This would change how dealers and background-check systems handle those sales and would take effect on enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 2/3/2025
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2025
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov