Federal Firearms-Owner Protection Act of 1982
Latest action. Referred to subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Crime.
Federal Firearms-Owner Protection Act of 1982 - Amends the Federal criminal code to require that violations of firearms registration laws be willful before a firearms license can be revoked. Terminates the application of firearms licensing requirements to "collectors." Prohibits licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers, and collectors from receiving a firearm from another State, if the State where they reside would prohibit it. Applies the confiscation and forfeiture provisions of the Federal firearms law only to firearms and ammunition actually involved in or used in violations of such law. Terminates application to firearms and ammunition merely intended to be used, but not actually used. Authorizes the court to award the defendant reasonable attorneys' fees if the defendant is not convicted. Provides for legislative veto by a simple resolution adopted by either House of Congress of any proposed rules and regulations under this section. Increases the term of prison sentences for violations of this section.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on August 12, 1982. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on August 16, 1982: Referred to Subcommittee on Crime.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 97th Congress (1981-82), 473 of the 11,489 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.1 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
STEVE GUNDERSON (R-WI) introduced it on August 12, 1982. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on August 12, 1982, 16147 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16143 days ago, on August 16, 1982.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 97th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1983 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers