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People & committees
Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 5, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-24 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposal, called Garrett’s Law, would classify certain air- or gas-powered pellet weapons as firearms under federal law. It would cover weapons meeting specified pellet-size and speed criteria, weapons capable of expelling metallic pellets above .25 caliber without a stated minimum speed, and weapons designated through Attorney General rulemaking as capable of causing death. Weapons that exclusively fire paint-filled pellets would be excluded. The Attorney General would have to publish guidance helping lethal-air-gun manufacturers obtain federal firearms licenses and comply with license requirements.
This Act may be cited as Garrett’s Law.
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking or (D) and inserting (D) any lethal air gun; or (E);
The term lethal air gun means any weapon (other than a weapon that exclusively expels a paint-filled pellet) that expels a pellet through the force of air or gas pressure if that projectile can be one of the following calibers and feet per second, or if the weapon is otherwise designated as a lethal air gun by the Attorney General, through rulemaking, as capable of causing death:
(D) Any metallic pellet above .25 caliber.
(c) Guidance Not later than 365 days after the date of enactment, the Attorney General shall publish, including on the website of the Attorney General, guidance to assist manufacturers of lethal air guns in becoming Federal firearms licensees, including assistance with the application process and on compliance with requirements for licensees, including serialization and record keeping requirements.
Section 2 would add “any lethal air gun” to the firearm definition in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3) and add a definition of that new category. The supplied text does not reproduce the existing firearm definition or the other laws that use it.
Classification of lethal air guns as firearms (a) In general Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by striking or (D) and inserting (D) any lethal air gun; or (E); and (2) by adding at the end the following: (39) The term lethal air gun means
The proposed size-and-speed criteria are a .177-caliber pellet expelled at a muzzle velocity of at least 800 feet per second, a .22-caliber pellet at least 500 feet per second, or a .25-caliber pellet at least 450 feet per second. Any metallic pellet above .25 caliber would also qualify, without a stated minimum speed.
(A) A .177 caliber pellet expelled at a muzzle velocity of not less than 800 feet per second. (B) A .22 caliber pellet expelled at a muzzle velocity of not less than 500 feet per second. (C) A .25 caliber pellet expelled at a muzzle velocity of not less than 450 feet per second. (D) Any metallic pellet above .25 caliber.
Weapons that exclusively fire paint-filled pellets would be excluded from the proposed lethal-air-gun definition. The exception expressly depends on firing only that type of pellet.
The term lethal air gun means any weapon (other than a weapon that exclusively expels a paint-filled pellet) that expels a pellet through the force of air or gas pressure
The Attorney General could use rulemaking to designate other air- or gas-powered pellet weapons as lethal air guns based on their capability to cause death. This provides a route to coverage beyond the listed pellet criteria, subject to the paint-filled-pellet exclusion.
The term lethal air gun means any weapon (other than a weapon that exclusively expels a paint-filled pellet) that expels a pellet through the force of air or gas pressure if that projectile can be one of the following calibers and feet per second, or if the weapon is otherwise designated as a lethal air gun by the Attorney General, through rulemaking, as capable of causing death:
The changes to the statutory definitions would take effect 850 days after enactment, if the proposal becomes law.
(b) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 850 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Within 365 days after enactment, the Attorney General would have to publish guidance, including on the Attorney General’s website, helping lethal-air-gun manufacturers obtain federal firearms licenses. The guidance must address applications and compliance requirements, including serialization and record keeping.
(c) Guidance Not later than 365 days after the date of enactment, the Attorney General shall publish, including on the website of the Attorney General, guidance to assist manufacturers of lethal air guns in becoming Federal firearms licensees, including assistance with the application process and on compliance with requirements for licensees, including serialization and record keeping requirements.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 5, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on the Judiciary on September 24, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-05T12:25:18Z. 2026-09-24: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2026-09-24: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-24. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials; formal earmark materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
A narrow exception to the main classification policy warrants scrutiny as a targeted benefit. This classification does not imply improper purpose.
Weapons that fire only paint-filled pellets receive an express exclusion from the proposed lethal-air-gun definition. The beneficiaries are those products and their manufacturers and users, through exclusion from this new classification within the bill’s broader regulation of air- or gas-powered pellet weapons. The text does not establish an exemption from other laws.
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking or (D) and inserting (D) any lethal air gun; or (E);
The term lethal air gun means any weapon (other than a weapon that exclusively expels a paint-filled pellet) that expels a pellet through the force of air or gas pressure
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 5, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI