WASHINGTON, D.C. – As mass shootings continue to kill or injure Americans needlessly, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) reintroduced legislation to curb these mass killings without hindering 2^nd amendment gun rights. The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act would protect communities from gun violence while safeguarding law-abiding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes by limiting the features of certain guns that allow for detachable high-capacity magazines. The legislation would also create a voluntary buyback program for individuals choosing to get rid of their weapons.

“The constant onslaught of news coverage that features mass shootings has become all too common and has traumatized far too many communities, including the heartbreak and loss we suffered here in Maine,” said Senator King. “The Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearm Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act addresses the lethal capacity weapons like the one used in Lewiston and most of the deadliest mass shootings across the country by limiting the functionality that allow for rapid reloading – and rapid killing – give police and first responders a chance to neutralize the situation. While nothing can bring back the lives of our family and friends in Lewiston, responsible actions moving forward can reduce the likelihood of such a nightmare happening again.”

Senator King previously led bipartisan, common-sense legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in the United States while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. The Safer Communities Act, passed in 2022, includes funding for red flag laws, enhanced background checks for buyers under 21, and increased mental health resources.

In addition, following the Lewiston shooting, Senator King has worked to increase mental health funding. In March 2024, the entire Maine Delegation announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (Maine DHHS) would receive $2,048,452 through the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Emergency Response Grant program (SERG). The funding is used for community mental health needs in the greater-Lewiston community. The delegation also sent a follow-up letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Army, Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin, to further press for a comprehensive review of the facts and events leading up to the October 25, 2023 mass shooting.

In addition to King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

Senator King’s past OpEd on the GOSAFE Act can be found here.

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More specifically, the GOSAFE Act would:

Regulate Sale, Transfer & Manufacture of Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms

The GOSAFE Act would regulate the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons by: 

1. Establishing a list of prohibited firearms; 
2. Preventing unlawful modifications of permissible firearms; 
3. Mandating that future gas-operated designs are approved before manufacture; and  
4. Preventing unlawful firearm self-assembly and manufacturing.  

Protect Americans’ Second Amendment Right

The GOSAFE Act protects Americans’ constitutional right to own a gun based on a firearm’s established use for self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. The bill accomplishes this by including exemptions based on maximum ammunition capacity according to a firearm’s individual class: a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.  

This capacity must be “permanently fixed,” meaning the firearm cannot accept a detachable, high-capacity magazine that would increase the number of rounds that can be fired before reloading and make reloading easier. 

Exemptions include:   

1. .22 caliber rimfire or less firearms 
2. Bolt action rifles 
3. Semi-automatic shotguns 
4. Recoil-operated handguns 
5. Any rifle with a permanently fixed magazine of 10 rounds or less 
6. Any shotgun with a permanently fixed magazine of 10 rounds or less 
7. Any handgun with a permanently fixed magazine of 15 rounds or less 

Limit High-Capacity Ammunition Devices, Outlaws Conversion Devices    

The GOSAFE Act limits a firearm’s ability to inflict maximum harm in a short amount of time by directly regulating large capacity ammunition feeding devices.  The bill would limit the number of rounds that large capacity ammunition feeding devices are permitted to carry to 10 rounds of ammunition or fewer.  Additionally, the GOSAFE Act makes conversion devices, including bump stocks and Glock switches, unlawful. 

Create Voluntary Buy-Back Program

The GOSAFE Act will protect the value of firearms already owned before enactment and prevent stockpiling of these lethal firearms and large capacity magazines by establishing a voluntary buy-back program.  It would allow firearm owners to voluntarily turn over and receive compensation for non-transferrable firearms and magazines as defined by this legislation. 

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