Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
                   FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2021
Legislative Document                                                                           No. 976
H.P. 722                                                        House of Representatives, March 9, 2021
           An Act To Amend the Definition of "Machine Gun" To Include
           Bump Stock Devices
    Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered
printed.
                                                                                   ROBERT B. HUNT
                                                                                              Clerk
Presented by Representative DOUDERA of Camden.
Cosponsored by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland and
Representatives: DODGE of Belfast, OSHER of Orono, RECKITT of South Portland, SACHS
of Freeport.
                                        Printed on recycled paper
 1   Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
 2       Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1051, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1975, c. 499, §1, is amended
 3   to read:
 4        2. As used in this chapter, "machine gun" means a weapon of any description, by
 5   whatever name known, loaded or unloaded, which that is capable of discharging a number
 6   of projectiles in rapid succession by one manual or mechanical action on the trigger or
 7   firing mechanism, including a weapon to which a bump stock device is affixed. For
 8   purposes of this subsection, "bump stock device" means a device that allows a firearm to
 9   discharge more than one projectile with a single mechanical action on the trigger by
10   harnessing the recoil energy of the firearm to which the bump stock device is affixed so
11   that the trigger resets and the firearm continues firing without additional physical
12   manipulation of the trigger.
13                                          SUMMARY
14        This bill amends the definition of "machine gun" to include a weapon to which a bump
15   stock device is affixed. Possession of a machine gun is a Class D crime. A bump stock
16   device is defined as a device that allows a firearm to discharge more than one projectile
17   with a single mechanical action on the trigger by harnessing the recoil energy of the firearm
18   to which the bump stock device is affixed so that the trigger resets and the firearm continues
19   firing without additional physical manipulation of the trigger.
                                         Page 1 - 130LR0479(01)
Statutes affected: 
Bill Text LD 976, HP 722: 17-A.1051