Sporting Firearms Access Act of 2025
The Sporting Firearms Access Act of 2025 would reshape how the Attorney General handles the importation of firearms and ammunition. The bill restructures the rules around what is allowed to be imported for “sporting purposes,” defining such purposes to include hunting, target shooting, organized competitions, and civilian rifle matches. It sets a clear 90-day deadline for the Attorney General to decide whether an import should be allowed; if a determination isn’t issued by that deadline, the import would be deemed allowed. If an import is denied, the bill requires a written explanation and public posting of the denial basis, and it provides a formal process for review, including a hearing and a de novo (new) judicial review in federal court, where the government bears the burden to prove the import is not generally suitable for sporting purposes. The bill also limits denials for imports that are “substantially similar” to firearms already circulating in the United States and adds procedural protections such as access to hearings and potential attorney’s fees for the aggrieved party. Technically, the bill reworks section 925(d) of Title 18 and adds new organizational headings to 18 U.S.C. § 925, while making some conforming amendments across related statutes. In short, if enacted, the bill would make it easier to import firearms and ammunition that manufacturers design for sporting use, standardize and speed up the AG’s determinations, and create a formal, court-supervised pathway for challenges to denials, with a strong emphasis on transparency and public justification for any denial.
Key Points
- 1Redefines “sporting purposes” and expands the category to include firearms and ammo designed and intended for hunting, recreational target shooting, organized competitions, and civilian rifle match formats.
- 2Establishes a 90-day deadline for the Attorney General to decide whether to permit importation; if no decision is issued by that date, the import is deemed to be allowed.
- 3Denial process: if importation is denied, the AG must provide written, stated reasons and post the basis for denial on the ATF website; the aggrieved party can request a hearing at a convenient location.
- 4Substantially similar rule: the AG may not deny a firearm or ammunition that is substantially similar to those already in circulation in the U.S.; defines “substantially similar” through a collaborative process with industry and government representatives and by comparing physical/technical characteristics to firearms in circulation.
- 5Judicial review and remedies: after a denial and hearing, if the AG maintains the denial, the aggrieved party may seek de novo review in federal court; the court weighs the evidence, places the burden on the AG to prove the firearm is not generally suitable for sporting purposes, and can award attorney fees if the decision is overturned.
- 6Administrative and structural changes: creates explicit headings in 18 U.S.C. § 925 related to Sporting Purposes and other import categories, and makes conforming amendments to cross-referenced statutes.