House of Representatives passed the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808). The bill is somewhat similar to the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that was in force from 1994 to 2004. It defines certain semi-automatic firearms as assault weapons, and prohibits their manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession. Existing assault weapons would be grandfathered in – that is, they would be legal to possess, and legal to sell or transfer through a federally licensed gun dealer. The bill also exempts law enforcement agencies and retired law enforcement officers. Defined as an assault weapon is any centerfire semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine and one or more of these features: a pistol grip, a forward grip, a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock, a grenade launcher, a barrel shroud, or a threaded barrel. A number of other rifles, shotguns, and pistols are also defined as assault weapons, including some specific makes and models. Additionally the proposed law defines magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition as large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and prohibits their manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession. Existing magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds would be legal to possess, but not to sell or transfer. Magazines for .22 caliber rimfire ammunition are not included in the ban. The bill passed the House by a vote of 217 to 213. Voting in favor of the bill were 215 Democrats and 2 Republicans. Voting against it were 208 Republicans and 5 Democrats. The U.S. Senate has not voted on the bill, as proponents do not have the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster and pass the law. State assault weapon bans Three U.S. states passed assault weapons bans before Congress passed the federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994: California in 1989, New Jersey in 1990, and Connecticut in 1993. Four others passed assault weapons bans before AWB 1994 expired in 2004: Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York. California California restricts the possession, sale, transfer or import of defined assault weapons to those individuals who possess a Dangerous Weapons Permit issued by the California Department of Justice. In practice, very few Dangerous Weapons Permits are issued, and only under a very limited set of circumstances defined in state DOJ regulations. 1989 In May 1989, California became the first state in the U.S. to pass an assault weapons law, after the January 1989 Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton.