S. 3873

119 S3873 IS: Jaime’s Law
 U.S. Senate
 2026-02-12
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 3873  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   February 12, 2026   Mr. Blumenthal  (for himself and  Mr. Murphy ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on the Judiciary    A BILL
To prevent the purchase of ammunition by prohibited purchasers.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as   Jaime’s Law  .
2.
Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to enhance the background check process in the United States to prevent the purchase of ammunition by individuals who are prohibited from doing so under Federal and State law.
3.
Transfers of firearms or ammunition
(a)
In general
Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by striking subsection (s);
(2)
by redesignating subsection (t) as subsection (s);
(3)
in subsection (s), as so redesignated—
(A)
by inserting  or ammunition  after  firearm  each place it appears except in subparagraphs (B)(ii) and (C) of paragraph (1);
(B)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting  in the case of a firearm,  before  3 ; and
(ii)
in subparagraph (C), in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting  the transfer of a firearm to  before  a person less ; and
(C)
in paragraph (3)(C)(ii), by striking  the chief law enforcement officer (as defined in subsection (s)(8))  and inserting  the relevant chief of police, sheriff, or other equivalent official, or the designee of any such individual ; and
(4)
by inserting after subsection (s), as so redesignated, the following:
(t)
(1)
(A)
It shall be unlawful for any person who is not a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer to transfer ammunition to any other person who is not so licensed, unless a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer has first taken possession of the ammunition for the purpose of complying with subsection (s).
(B)
Upon taking possession of ammunition under subparagraph (A), a licensee shall comply with all requirements of this chapter as if the licensee were transferring ammunition from the inventory of the licensee to the unlicensed transferee.
(C)
If a transfer of ammunition described in subparagraph (A) will not be completed for any reason after a licensee takes possession of the ammunition (including because the transfer of the ammunition to, or receipt of the ammunition by, the transferee would violate this chapter), the return of the ammunition to the transferor by the licensee shall not constitute the transfer of ammunition for purposes of this chapter.
(2)
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to—
(A)
a law enforcement agency or any law enforcement officer, armed private security professional, or member of the Armed Forces, to the extent the officer, professional, or member is acting within the course and scope of employment and official duties;
(B)
a transfer that is a loan or bona fide gift between spouses, between domestic partners, between parents and their children, including step-parents and their step-children, between siblings, between aunts or uncles and their nieces or nephews, or between grandparents and their grandchildren;
(C)
a transfer to an executor, administrator, trustee, or personal representative of an estate or a trust that occurs by operation of law upon the death of another person;
(D)
a temporary transfer that is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, including harm to self, family, household members, or others, if the possession by the transferee lasts only as long as immediately necessary to prevent the imminent death or great bodily harm, including the harm of domestic violence, dating partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic abuse;
(E)
a transfer that is approved by the Attorney General under  section 5812  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or
(F)
a temporary transfer if the transferor has no reason to believe that the transferee will use or intends to use the ammunition in a crime or is prohibited from possessing ammunition under State or Federal law, and the transfer takes place and the transferee's possession of the ammunition is exclusively—
(i)
at a shooting range or in a shooting gallery or other area designated for the purpose of target shooting;
(ii)
while reasonably necessary for the purposes of hunting, trapping, or fishing, if the transferor—
(I)
has no reason to believe that the transferee intends to use the ammunition in a place where it is illegal; and
(II)
has reason to believe that the transferee will comply with all licensing and permit requirements for such hunting, trapping, or fishing; or
(iii)
while in the presence of the transferor.
(3)
It shall be unlawful for a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer to transfer possession of ammunition to another person who is not so licensed unless the importer, manufacturer, or dealer has provided such other person with a notice of the prohibition under paragraph (1), and such other person has certified that such other person has been provided with this notice on a form prescribed by the Attorney General.
 .
(b)
Technical and conforming amendments
(1)
United States Code
 Chapter 44  of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(A)
in section 922(y)(2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking  , (g)(5)(B), and (s)(3)(B)(v)(II)  and inserting  and (g)(5)(B) ;
(B)
in section 925A, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking  subsection (s) or (t) of section 922  and inserting  section 922(s) ; and
(C)
in section 925B—
(i)
in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking  922(t)  and inserting  922(s) ; and
(ii)
in subsection (b), by striking  922(t) of title 18, United States Code  and inserting  922(s) .
(2)
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
Section 103(l) of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act ( 34 U.S.C. 40901(l) ) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking  (t)  and inserting  (s) .
(3)
NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007
Section 103(f) of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 ( 34 U.S.C. 40913(f) ) is amended by striking  922(t)  and inserting  922(s) .
(4)
Consolidated and further continuing appropriations act, 2012
Section 511 of title V of division B of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 ( 34 U.S.C. 40901  note) is amended by striking  subsection 922(t)  each place it appears and inserting  subsection (s) or (t) of section 922 .
4.
Rules of construction
Nothing in this Act, or any amendment made by this Act, shall be construed to—
(1)
authorize the establishment, directly or indirectly, of a national firearms or ammunition registry; or
(2)
interfere with the authority of a State, under section 927 of title 18, United States Code, to enact a law on the same subject matter as this Act.
5.
Effective date
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.