Bill Summary & Status
100th Congress (1987 - 1988)
H.R.4445
All Information


NEW SEARCH | HOME | HELP

Back to BSS Back to Bill Summary and Status

{link: 'http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d100:H.R.4445:@@@L',title: 'THOMAS - BSS - H.R.4445 - All Information' }


H.R.4445
Latest Title: Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988
Sponsor: Rep Hughes, William J. [NJ-2] (introduced 4/21/1988)      Cosponsors (17)
Related Bills: H.R.2845, S.2180
Latest Major Action: 11/10/1988 Became Public Law No: 100-649.
Jump to: Summary, Major Actions, All Actions, Titles, Cosponsors, Committees, Related Bill Details, AmendmentsAbstracts
SUMMARY AS OF:
10/21/1988--Senate agreed to House amendment with amendment.    (There are 4 other summaries)

(Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment)

Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal criminal code to make it unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive any firearm: (1) which is not as detectable as the Security Exemplar (after the removal of grips, stocks, and magazines) by walk-through metal detectors calibrated and operated to detect the Exemplar; or (2) of which any major component, when subjected to inspection by x-ray machines commonly used at airports, does not generate an image that accurately depicts the shape of the component.

Defines the term "Security Exemplar" to mean an object that is suitable for testing and calibrating metal detectors and is, during the 12-month period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, constructed of 3.7 ounces of stainless steel in a shape resembling a handgun. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, at the close of such 12-month period and at appropriate times thereafter, to promulgate regulations to permit the manufacture, importation, sale, shipment, delivery, possession, transfer, or receipt of firearms that are as detectable as a security exemplar which contains 3.7 ounces of stainless steel or such lesser amount as is detectable in view of advances in state-of-the-art developments in weapons detection technology.

States that no provision of this Act shall not apply to: (1) the manufacture, possession, transfer, receipt, shipment, or delivery of a firearm by a licensed manufacturer for the purpose of examining and testing such firearm to determine whether it would be prohibited by this Act; and (2) any firearm which has been certified by the Secretary of Defense or the Director of Central Intelligence as necessary for military or intelligence applications and is manufactured for and sold exclusively to military or intelligence agencies of the United States.

Permits the conditional importation of firearms for the purpose of examination and testing to determine whether the importation of such firearms will be allowed under this Act.

Provides an exemption from such prohibition for any firearm possessed in the United States before the enactment of this Act.

Provides criminal penalties for violations of this Act.

Prohibits the Secretary from authorizing the importation of undetectable firearms.

Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct research to improve the effectiveness of airport security metal detectors and airport security x-ray systems.

Directs the Attorney General, the Secretary, and the Secretary of Transportation to conduct studies to identify available equipment capable of detecting the Security Exemplar while distinguishing innocuous metal objects.

Repeals such prohibition ten years after the effective date of this Act.

MAJOR ACTIONS:

4/21/1988 Introduced in House
5/10/1988 Reported to House (Amended) by House Committee on The Judiciary. Report No: 100-612.
5/10/1988 Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 413 - 4 (Record Vote No: 118).
5/25/1988 Senate Committee on Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
5/25/1988 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2180 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
10/20/1988 Resolving differences -- House actions: House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
10/21/1988 Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment (SP 3767) by Voice Vote.
10/21/1988 Resolving differences -- House actions: House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
10/21/1988 Cleared for White House.
11/3/1988 Presented to President.
11/10/1988 Signed by President.
11/10/1988 Became Public Law No: 100-649.
ALL ACTIONS: (Floor Actions/Congressional Record Page References)
4/21/1988:
Referred to House Committee on The Judiciary.
4/21/1988:
For Previous Action See H.R.2845.
4/28/1988:
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
4/28/1988:
Ordered to be Reported (Amended).
5/10/1988:
Reported to House (Amended) by House Committee on The Judiciary. Report No: 100-612.
5/10/1988:
Placed on Union Calendar No: 364.
5/10/1988:
Called up by House Under Suspension of Rules.
5/10/1988:
Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 413 - 4 (Record Vote No: 118).
5/11/1988:
Received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
5/25/1988:
Senate Committee on Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
5/25/1988:
Senate struck all after the Enacting Clause and substituted the language of S. 2180 amended.
5/25/1988:
Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2180 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
5/26/1988:
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
10/20/1988:
House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
10/21/1988:
S.AMDT.3767 Proposed by Senator Byrd for Senator Metzenbaum.
To provide that, at the close of the 12-month period and at appropriate times thereafter, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to permit the manufacture, importation, sale, shipment, delivery, possession, transfer, or receipt of firearms previously prohibited that are as detectable as a "security Exemplar" which contain 3.7 ounces of material type 17-4 PH stainless steel, in a shape of a handgun and for other purposes.
10/21/1988:
S.AMDT.3767 Amendment SP 3767 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
10/21/1988:
Message on House action received in Senate and held at desk: House amendment to Senate amendment.
10/21/1988:
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
10/21/1988:
Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment (SP 3767) by Voice Vote.
10/21/1988:
House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
10/21/1988:
Cleared for White House.
11/2/1988:
Measure Signed in Senate.
11/3/1988:
Presented to President.
11/10/1988:
Signed by President.
11/10/1988:
Became Public Law No: 100-649.
TITLE(S):  (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)
COSPONSORS(17), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:     (Sort: by date)

Rep Bateman, Herbert H. [VA-1] - 4/21/1988
Rep Biaggi, Mario [NY-19] - 4/21/1988
Rep Crockett, George W., Jr. [MI-13] - 4/21/1988
Rep Feighan, Edward F. [OH-19] - 4/21/1988
Rep Frost, Martin [TX-24] - 5/10/1988
Rep Gekas, George W. [PA-17] - 4/21/1988
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] - 5/10/1988
Rep Mazzoli, Romano L. [KY-3] - 4/21/1988
Rep McCollum, Bill [FL-5] - 4/21/1988
Rep Obey, David R. [WI-7] - 5/10/1988
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-4] - 5/10/1988
Rep Rodino, Peter W., Jr. [NJ-10] - 4/21/1988
Rep Shaw, E. Clay, Jr. [FL-15] - 4/21/1988
Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 4/21/1988
Rep Smith, Lawrence [FL-16] - 4/21/1988
Rep Weiss, Ted [NY-17] - 4/21/1988
Rep Wheat, Alan [MO-5] - 5/10/1988

COMMITTEE(S):
RELATED BILL DETAILS:  (additional related bills may be indentified in Status)
AMENDMENT(S):

1. S.AMDT.3767 to H.R.4445 To provide that, at the close of the 12-month period and at appropriate times thereafter, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to permit the manufacture, importation, sale, shipment, delivery, possession, transfer, or receipt of firearms previously prohibited that are as detectable as a "security Exemplar" which contain 3.7 ounces of material type 17-4 PH stainless steel, in a shape of a handgun and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Metzenbaum, Howard M. [OH] (introduced 10/21/1988)      Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 10/21/1988 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SP 3767 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.