Rep. Patronis Introduces Bill to Repeal Federal Ban on New Machine Guns
The Firearm Freedom Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the House Committee on the Judiciary for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time, and the bill is still in the beginning phase.
This bill is highly controversial and faces a very difficult path in the Senate where it would need significant support to move forward. It is mostly supported by one party.
Current law limits civilian machine gun ownership to pre-1986 models, which are extremely scarce and expensive (often $30,000 to $100,000+). Repealing the Hughes Amendment would allow gun owners to purchase newly manufactured fully automatic firearms at far lower prices, dramatically expanding the types of weapons available to lawful buyers who complete the NFA registration process.
“Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (o).”
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Rep. Jimmy Patronis has proposed the Firearm Freedom Act to repeal the Hughes Amendment, which has blocked the sale of new automatic firearms to civilians for 40 years. The bill is backed by Gun Owners of America and seeks to restore rights many view as unconstitutionally stripped away.
The Firearm Freedom Act, introduced by Rep. Jimmy Patronis, would eliminate the 1986 Hughes Amendment. The bill aims to end the 'financial chokehold' on machine gun ownership caused by the limited supply of pre-1986 firearms, which has driven prices into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Northwest Florida Congressman Jimmy Patronis joined Pensacola Morning News to discuss the Firearm Freedom Act. The bill would repeal the federal provision restricting civilian ownership of machine guns, effectively allowing anyone legally permitted to own a firearm to purchase one.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Firearm Freedom Act of 2026
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