Federal law gives state and local police departments access to certain firearms — including fully automatic weapons made after 1986 — that civilians cannot legally own. Tribal police departments, which serve the same public safety role on reservations, are currently left out of those exemptions. This bill would fix that gap by adding Indian Tribes to the list of government entities whose law enforcement agencies can transfer, possess, and import these restricted firearms. It also waives the federal transfer and manufacturing taxes on firearms for tribal agencies, the same tax break state and local departments already get.
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
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-02-26
- Date Added
- 2026-04-11