# What This Bill Does

This bill makes it much harder for people with multiple serious felony convictions to own or possess guns. Specifically, it targets people who have been convicted of three or more serious felonies and are caught with a firearm. If someone falls into this category, they would face a mandatory prison sentence of 15 to 30 years with no possibility of getting out early through probation or sentence reduction.

The key change here is that the bill restores and strengthens an older law called the Armed Career Criminal Act, which had been weakened by court decisions. The bill defines what counts as a "serious felony" for these purposes—basically, any felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of at least 10 years. So if you've been convicted three separate times for crimes that could each send you to prison for a decade or more, and you're then caught with a gun, you're looking at a mandatory 15-30 year sentence.

This law would primarily affect people with extensive criminal histories who illegally possess firearms. It doesn't change gun ownership rules for regular citizens or first-time offenders. The mandatory sentencing means judges have no flexibility—they cannot reduce the sentence, suspend it, or put someone on probation instead of prison time. The bill only applies to crimes committed after it becomes law, so it wouldn't affect sentences already handed down.

In practical terms, this is a "three strikes and you're out" approach specifically for armed offenders with serious criminal backgrounds. Supporters argue it keeps dangerous repeat offenders off the streets, while critics might worry about mandatory minimums limiting judges' ability to consider individual circumstances.

Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act

Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8]

Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act This bill modifies the prior convictions that trigger a 15-year enhanced mandatory minimum prison term for a defendant who commits a firearms offense after three or more such prior convictions.