HB 2043 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous articles, prohibiting certain assault weapons.

PRINTER'S NO.   2640

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 2043
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY SANCHEZ, ABNEY, KAZEEM, GIRAL, MADDEN, WAXMAN,
        BURGOS, WEBSTER, BRENNAN, K.HARRIS, GUENST, FIEDLER,
        HOHENSTEIN, BENHAM, SCHLOSSBERG, BOROWSKI, DONAHUE, CERRATO,
        WARREN, RIVERA, BOYD, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ AND CIRESI,
        NOVEMBER 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, NOVEMBER 19, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous
 3      articles, prohibiting certain assault weapons.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.      Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 6121.1.      Certain assault weapons prohibited.
 9      (a)   Offense defined.--Except as provided in subsection (b),
10   a person may not:
11            (1)    Possess, use, control, sell, deliver, transfer or
12      manufacture an assault weapon.
13            (2)    Obtain a license for an act under paragraph (1).
14      (b)   Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to:
15            (1)    A member of the armed forces of the United States,
16      including National Guard and reserve components, a law
17      enforcement officer or other public safety officer while
 1      performing official duties or traveling to or from an
 2      authorized place of duty if possession of the assault weapon
 3      is authorized under applicable statute, regulation or
 4      military or law enforcement policy.
 5            (2)   A person authorized under applicable statute,
 6      regulation or military or law enforcement policy to perform
 7      an act under subsection (a)(1) for the purpose of ensuring
 8      that an individual under paragraph (1) obtains an assault
 9      weapon.
10            (3)   A person lawfully owning or otherwise possessing an
11      assault weapon before the effective date of this section.
12      (c)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
13   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
14   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
15      "Assault weapon."        Any of the following, but not including
16   any firearm modified to render it permanently inoperable:
17            (1)   A selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic,
18      semiautomatic or burst fire at the option of the user or a
19      firearm that has the ability to accept a large-capacity
20      magazine.
21            (2)   A semiautomatic firearm that meets any of the
22      following criteria:
23                  (i)   The firearm is a semiautomatic rifle that has
24            the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at
25            least two of the following:
26                        (A)   A folding or telescoping stock.
27                        (B)   A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously
28                  beneath the action of the weapon.
29                        (C)   A bayonet mount.
30                        (D)   A flash suppressor or threaded barrel

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 1              designed to accommodate a flash suppressor.
 2                     (E)   A grenade launcher.
 3              (ii)    The firearm is a semiautomatic pistol that has
 4        the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at
 5        least two of the following:
 6                     (A)   An ammunition magazine that attaches to the
 7              pistol outside of the pistol grip.
 8                     (B)   A threaded barrel capable of accepting a
 9              barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip
10              or silencer.
11                     (C)   A shroud that is attached to, or partially
12              or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits
13              the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger
14              hand without being burned.
15                     (D)   A manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more
16              when the pistol is unloaded.
17                     (E)   A semiautomatic version of an automatic
18              firearm.
19              (iii)    The firearm is a semiautomatic shotgun that
20        has at least two of the following:
21                     (A)   A folding or telescoping stock.
22                     (B)   A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously
23              beneath the action of the weapon.
24                     (C)   A fixed magazine capacity in excess of five
25              rounds.
26                     (D)   An ability to accept a detachable magazine.
27        (3)   A part or combination of parts designed or intended
28    to convert a firearm into an assault weapon or any
29    combination of parts from which an assault weapon may be
30    rapidly assembled if those parts are in possession or under

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 1      the control of the same person. This paragraph shall not
 2      apply to unassembled parts or a combination of parts
 3      possessed by a dealer licensed under this chapter or a person
 4      employed by that dealer, which are used to repair or service
 5      a lawfully possessed firearm.
 6      "Large-capacity magazine."    A firearm magazine, belt, drum,
 7   feed strip or similar device that has the capacity of, or can be
 8   readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of
 9   ammunition but does not include:
10          (1)   A feeding device that has been permanently altered
11      so that it cannot accommodate more than 10 rounds of
12      ammunition.
13          (2)   A .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding device.
14          (3)   A tubular magazine that is contained in a lever-
15      action firearm.
16          (4)   A magazine that is permanently inoperable.
17      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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