,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dace  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #bh1 #bjad 
,mr4 ,simpson introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to clarify the standard required for   
the importation of sporting arms into   
the ,united ,states1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,firearm            
,importation ,fairness ,act of #bjad4   
#b4 ,findings2 purposes  7a7 ,findings  
,the ,congress finds the following3     
7#a7 ,citizens have a fundamental1      
individual right1 under the ,second     
,amendment to the ,united ,states       
,constitution1 to keep and bear arms4   
,the ,supreme ,court has held that the  
right to self-defense1 rather than sport
 is at the core of that right4  7#b7    
,despite the meaning of the ,second     
,amendment as interpreted by the        
,supreme ,court1 section #ibe7;d7 of    
title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1       

requires the ,attorney ,general to      
approve the importation of firearms into
 the ,united ,states for private        
ownership1 but generally only if the    
firearms are determined to be suitable  
for or adaptable to sporting purposes4  
7#c7 ,the ,executive ,branch has        
interpreted sporting purposes in a      
narrow and obstructive manner1 impeding 
firearms imports1 interfering with      
citizens' constitutional rights1 and    
diminishing consumer choice4 ,these     
interpretations have resulted in bans on
 the importation of firearms that are   
completely legal to make1 sell1 and own 
in the ,united ,states4  7b7 ,purposes  
,the purposes of this ,act are as       
follows3  7#a7 ,to clarify the standard 
used to import firearms into the ,united
 ,states4  7#b7 ,to make it clear that  
firearms imports may not be subject to  
discriminatory treatment1 and that      
firearms should be importable for all   
lawful purposes1 including hunting1 self
 defense1 collecting1 competitive       

shooting1 and plinking4  7#c7 ,to       
prevent the further impediment of       
commerce by allowing faster             
consideration of firearm import permits4
  #c4 ,modification of standard for     
importation of firearms  7a7            
,importation ,section #ibb7l7 of title  
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by striking 8#ibe7;d7 of this chapter0  
and inserting 8#ibe04  7b7 ,exceptions  
,section #ibe of such title is amended--
  7#a7 in subsection 7a7--  7,a7 in     
paragraph 7#c71 by striking determined  
by the ,attorney ,general to be         
generally recognized as particularly    
suitable for sporting purposes and2 and 
7,b7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking 7,a7
 determined by the ,attorney ,general to
 be generally recognized as particularly
 suitable for sporting purposes1 or     
determined by the ,department of        
,defense to be a type of firearm        
normally classified as a war souvenir1  
and 7,b72 and  7#b7 by striking         
subsections 7d7 through 7f7 and         

inserting the following3  7d7  7#a7     
,within #cj days after the ,attorney    
,general receives an application        
therefor1 the ,attorney ,general shall  
authorize a firearm or ammunition to be 
imported or brought into the ,united    
,states or any possession thereof if--  
7,a7 the firearm or ammunition is being 
imported or brought in for scientific or
 research purposes2  7,b7 the firearm is
 an unserviceable firearm1 other than a 
machinegun as defined in section        
#ehde7;b7 of the ,internal ,revenue     
,code of #aihf 7not readily restorable  
to firing condition71 imported or       
brought in as a curio or museum piece2  
7,c7 the firearm is not a firearm 7as   
defined in section #ehde7;a7 of such    
,code72  7,d7 the ammunition is not     
armor piercing ammunition 7as defined in
 section #iba7;a77#ag77;,b7 of this     
title71 incendiary ammunition1 or tracer
 ammunition2 or  7,e7 the firearm or    
ammunition was previously taken out of  
the ,united ,states or a possession by  

the person who is bringing in the       
firearm or ammunition4  7#b7 ,within #cj
 days after the ,attorney ,general      
receives an application therefor1 the   
,attorney ,general shall permit the     
conditional importation or bringing in  
of a firearm or ammunition for          
examination and testing in connection   
with the making of a determination as to
 whether the importation or bringing in 
of the firearm or ammunition will be    
allowed under this subsection4  7#c7    
,the ,attorney ,general shall not       
authorize1 under subsection 7d71 the    
importation of any firearm the          
importation of which is prohibited by   
section #ibb7p74  4  7c7 ,domestic      
manufacture ,section #ibb of such title 
is amended by striking subsection 7r74  
#d4 ,applicability ,the amendments made 
by this ,act shall apply to applications
 pending on or after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act4