Tribal police departments would gain the same legal access to firearms — including post-1986 machine guns — that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies already have under the Tribal Police Department Parity Act. Existing federal law allows state and local agencies to acquire and possess certain restricted weapons, but that language has not included tribal governments. The bill also removes the federal tax on firearm transfers and manufacturing for tribal law enforcement agencies, the same exemption enjoyed by other government police. Changes to the tax provisions would apply to firearms transferred or made after enactment.
Congressional Summary
Tribal Police Department Parity Act This bill treats tribal law enforcement agencies in the same manner as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for purposes of accessing firearms. The National Firearms Act (NFA) generally imposes a tax on the transfer of an NFA firearm; however, specified governmental entities (e.g., federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies) are exempt from this transfer tax. This bill extends this exemption to Indian tribes (and consequently, to tribal law enforcement agencies). The Gun Control Act (GCA) generally prohibits the interstate shipment of firearms to unlicensed persons, but exempts specified governmental entities from this prohibition. This bill makes Indian tribes (and consequently, tribal law enforcement agencies) eligible to receive firearms interstate. The GCA also prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns manufactured after 1986, but exempts specified governmental entities from this prohibition. This bill makes Indian tribes (and consequently, tribal law enforcement agencies) eligible to transfer or possess these machine guns.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-02-25
- Date Added
- 2026-04-10
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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