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102 STAT. 3816 PUBLIC LAW 100-649NOV. 10, 1988Public Law 100-649100th Congress An Act

Mov. 10,l^oo rp amen d t i t le 18, Un ited S ta tes Code , to prohibi t cer ta in f i rearms espec ia l ly useful[H.R. 4445] to ter ror ists .Be it enacted by the Senate and H ouse of Repre sentatives of theUndetectable United States of America in Congress assembledFirearms Act of1988. SECT ION 1. SHOFiT TIT LE .industry This Act ma y be ci ted as th e U nd ete cta ble Fi re arm s Act ofImports.' 1988 .Commerce andt rade . SEC . 2 . UNDE TECTA BLE FIRE ARM S.l USC921note ^ PROHIBITIONS.Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, isamended by adding at the end the fol lowing:(p)(l)It sha ll be unlawful for any person to m an ufa ctu re, imp ort ,

sel l , ship, del iver , possess, t ran sfer , or receive any f irearm(A) that , af ter removal of gr ips, stocks, and magazines, isnot as detectable as the Secur i ty Exemplar , by walk- throughmetal detectors cal ibra ted and operated to detect the Secur i tyExemplar ; or(B) any major component of which, when subjected to inspect ion by the types of x-ray machines commonly used at airports,does not generate an image that accurate ly depic ts the shape ofthe component . Bar ium sul fa te or o ther compounds may be usedin the fabricat ion of the component.(2) For p urpo ses of this subsection(A) the term 'f irearm' does not include the frame or receiverof any such weapon;(B) the te rm 'major com pone nt ' me ans, wi th respect to afirearm, th e ba rre l, th e slide or cylin der, or th e fram e orrece iver of th e firearm; an d(C) th e term 'Secu ri ty Exe m pla r ' m ean s an object, to befabricated at the direct ion of the Secretary, that is( i) con structe d of, dur ing th e 12-month period b egin ningon the date of the enactment of this subsection, 3.7 ouncesof material type 17-4 PH stainless steel in a shape resembl ing a handgun; and(ii) sui ta ble for test in g and ca libra t ing m etal detectors:Regulations. Provided however. That at the close of such 12-month period,and a t appropr ia te t imes thereaf ter the Secretary shal l p romulgate regulat ions to permit the manufacture , impor ta t ion, sa le ,shipment, del ivery, possession, t ransfer , or receipt of f irearmspreviously prohibi ted under th is subparagraph that are asdetectable as a 'Securi ty Exemplar ' which contains 3.7 ounces ofmaterial type 17-4 PH stainless steel , in a shape resembling ahandgun, or such lesser amount as is detectable in view ofadvances in state-of-the-art developments in weapons detectiontechnology.(3) Under such rules and regulat ions as the Secretary shal lprescribe, this subsection shall not apply to the manufacture, posses-

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PUBLIC LAW 100-649NOV. 10 1988 102 STAT. 3817s i on , t r a n s f e r , r e c e i p t , s h i p m e n t , or d e l i v e r y of a f i r e a r m by al i c e n s e d m a n u f a c t u r e r or anyp e r s o n a c t i n g p u r s u a n t to a c o n t r a c tw i t h a l i c en s e d m a n u f a c t u r e r , for th e p u r p o s e of e x a m i n i n g andt e s t i n g s u c h f i r e a r m tod e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r p a r a g r a p h (1) a p p l i e s tos u c h fire arm . T h e S e c r e t a r y s h a l l e n s u r e t h a t r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n sa d o p t e d p u r s u a n t tot h i s p a r a g r a p h do noti m p a i r the m a n u f a c t u r eof p ro to ty p e f irearms ort h e d e v e l o p m e n t ofn e w t e c h n o l o g y .(4) TheS e c r e t a r y s h a l l p e r m i t thec o n d i t i o n a l i m p o r t a t i o n of afirearm by a l i ce n s e d i m p o r t e r or l ic e n se d m a n u f a c t u r e r , for e x a m i n a t i o n andt e s t i n g to d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r or no t the u n c o n d i t i o n a li m p o r t a t i o n ofs u c h fire arm w o u l d v i o l a t e t h i s s u b s e c t i o n .( 5) T h i s s u b s e c t i o n s h a l l n o t a p p l y toa n y firearm w h i c h (A ) has b e e n c e r t i f i e d by the S e c r e t a r y of D e f e n s e or theD i r e c t o r of C e n t r a l I n t e l l ig e n c e , a f t e r c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h theS e c r e t a r y and th e A d m i n i s t r a t o r of the F e d e r a l A v i a t i o nA d m i n i s t r a t i o n , as n e c e s s a r y for m i l i t a r y or i n t e l l i g e n c e app l i c a t i o n s ; a n d(B ) is m a n u f a c tu r e d for ands o l d e x c l u s i v e l y to m i l i ta r y ori n t e l l i g e n c e a g e n c i e s oft h e U n i t e d S t a t e s .(6) T h i s s u b s e c t i o n s h a l l no ta p p l y w i t h r e s p e c t to any firearmm a n u f a c t u r e d in, i m p o r t e d i n t o , or p o s s e s s e d in theU n i t e d S t a t e sb e f o r e thed a t e of t h e e n a c t m e n t oft h e U n d e t e c t a b l e F i r e a r m sActof 1988. .(b ) P E N A L T Y . S e c t i o n 924 of t i t l e 18, U n i t e d S t a t e s C o d e , isamended(1) in su bs ec t ion ( a) (1 ), by s t r i k i n g o r (c) and i n s e r t i n g inl i e u t h e r e o f , (c),or( f ) ; a n d(2 ) b y a d d i n g att h e e n d t h e f o l lo w i n g :(f )In thec a s e of a p e r s o n w h o k n o w i n g l y v i o l a t e s s e c t i o n 92 2 (p ) ,s u c h p e r s o n s h a l l be f i n e d u n d e r t h i s t i t l e , or i m p r i s o n e d no t m o r et h a n 5y e a r s ,orb o t h . .

(c) C O N F O R M I N G AMENDMENTS.Section 925 of ti tl e 18, Uni tedS t a t e s C o d e ,isamended(1 ) in s u b s e c t i o n ( a ), by i n s e r t i n g a f te r c h a p t e r the fo l lowi n g : , e x c e p t for p r o v i s i o n s r e l a t i n g to firearms subject to thep r o h i b i t i o n s ofs e c t i o n 9 2 2 ( p ) , ; a n d(2 )bya d d i n gatt h e e n d t h e f o l lo w i n g :(f ) TheS e c r e t a r y s h a l l no ta u t h o r i z e , u n d e r s u b s e c t io n (d), thei m p o r t a t i o n ofa n y fire arm t h e i m p o r t a t i o n ofw h i c h isp r o h i b i t e dbysec t i on 922(p ) . .(d) R E S E A R C H A N D D E V E L O P M E N T OFI M P R O V E D A I R P O R T S E C U R I T Y 49 use app.S Y S T E M S . T h e A d m i n i s t r a t o r of theF e d e r a l A v i a t i o n A d m i n i s t r a - ^^^ ^^t i o n s h a l l c o n d u c t s u c h r e s e a r c h and d e v e l o p m e n t as m ay ben e c e s s a r y to i m p r o v e the e f f e c t i v e n e s s of a i r p o r t s e c u r i t y m e t a ld e t e c t o r s anda i r p o r t s e c u r i t y x - r a y s y s t e m s in de te c t in g f irearmst h a t , d u r i n g the 1 0 - y e a r p e r i o d b e g i n n i n g on the e f f e c ti v e d a t e oft h i s A c t , ares u b j e c t to thep r o h i b i t i o n s ofsec t i on 922(p ) oft i t l e18,U n i t e d S t a t e s C o d e .(e) S T U D I E S TO I D E N T I F Y E Q U I P M E N T C A P A B L E OFD I S T I N G U I S H I N G 18U S C922 note.

S E C U R I T Y E X E M P L A R F R O M O T H E R M E T A L O B J E C T S L I K E L Y TO BEC A R R I E D O NO N E ' S PERSON.The Attorney General, the Secretary oft h e T r e a s u r y , and theS e c r e t a r y of T r a n s p o r t a t i o n s h a l l e a c h c o nd u c t s t u d i e s to i d e n t i f y a v a i l a b l e s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t e q u i p m e n t c a p a b l eo f d e t e c t i n g t h e S e c u r i t y E x e m p l a r ( a s d e f i n e d inse ct io n 922(p)(2)(C)o f t i t l e 18, U n i t e d S t a t e s C o de ) and d i s t i n g u i s h i n g the S e c u r i t yE x e m p l a r f r o m i n n o c u o u s m e t a l o b j e c t s l i k e l y to bec a r r i e d on o n e ' sp e r s o n . S u c h s t u d i e s s h a l l be c o m p l e t e d w i t h i n 6 m o n t h s a f t e r the

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102 STAT.3818 PU LICLAW 100-649NOV.10 1988date of the enactment of this Act and shall include a scheduleproviding for the installation of such equipment at the earliestpracticable time at security checkpoints maintained or regulated bythe agency conducting the study. Such equipment shall be installedin accordance with each schedule. In addition, such studies mayinclude recommendations, where appropriate, concerning the use ofsecondary security equipment and procedures to enhance detectioncapability at security checkpoints.

18u s e 922note . (f) EFFECTIVED A T E AND SUNSET PROVISION.(1)EFFECTIVE DATE.This Act and the amendments made bythis Act shall take effect on the 30th day beginning after thedate of the enactment of this Act.(2) 10-YEARSUNSET.Effective 10 years after the effective dateof thisAct(A) subsection (p) of section 922 of title 18, United StatesCode, is hereby repealed;(B) subsection (f) of section 924 of such title is herebyrepealed;(C) subsection (f) of section 925 of such title is herebyrepealed;(D) section 924(a)(1) of such title is amended by striking, (c), or (f) and inserting in lieu thereof or (c) ; and(E) section 925(a) of such title is amended by striking, except for provisions relating to firearms subject to theprohibitions of section 922(p), .Approved November 10, 1988.

LEGISLATIVEHISTORYH.R.4445 (S.2180):HOUSE REPORTS:No. 100-612 (Comm. on the Judiciary).CONGRESSIONALRECORD, Vol. 134(1988):May 10, considered and passed House.May 25, considered and passed Senate,eimended,in lieu of S. 2180.Oct. 20, House concurred in Senate amendment with an amendment.Oct. 21, Senate concurred in House amendment with an amendment. House

concurredin Senate amendment.