SLS 18RS-1577 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 491
BY SENATOR CARTER
WEAPONS. Prohibits the importation, manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer
of a rapid-fire device. (8/1/18)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part III of Chapter 9 of Title 40, to be comprised of R.S. 40:1801 and 1802, relative
3 to the regulation of weapons; to prohibit the importation, manufacture, sale,
4 purchase, possession, or transfer of a rapid-fire device; to provide for criminal
5 penalties; to provide definitions; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. Part III of Chapter 9 of Title 40, comprised of R.S. 40:1801 and 1802, is
8 hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 PART III. RAPID-FIRE DEVICES
10 §1801. Definitions
11 As used in this Part:
12 (1) "Rapid-fire device" means any of the following:
13 (a) A device that, when attached to a semiautomatic weapon, allows the
14 weapon to discharge two or more shots in a burst by activating the device.
15 (b) A manual or power-driven trigger activating device that, when
16 attached to a semiautomatic weapon, substantially increases the rate of fire of
17 that weapon.
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 491
SLS 18RS-1577 ORIGINAL
1 (c) A reciprocating stock or other device that, when attached to a
2 semiautomatic weapon, substantially accelerates the rate of fire of the weapon.
3 (2) "Semiautomatic weapon" means any repeating weapon that utilizes
4 the portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case
5 and chamber to the next round, and that requires a separate function of the
6 trigger to fire each cartridge.
7 §1802. Prohibitions
8 A. No person shall import, manufacture, sell, keep for sale, offer for sale,
9 purchase, possess, or transfer within this state a rapid-fire device.
10 B. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not
11 more than one thousand dollars, imprisoned with or without hard labor for not
12 more than one year, or both.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Angela L. De Jean.
DIGEST
SB 491 Original 2018 Regular Session Carter
Proposed law prohibits the importation, manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer
within this state of a rapid-fire device, and provides that anyone who violates this prohibition
shall be fined not more than $1,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
Proposed law defines "rapid-fire device" as any of the following:
(1)A device that, when attached to a semiautomatic weapon, allows the weapon to
discharge two or more shots in a burst by activating the device.
(2)A manual or power-driven trigger activating device that, when attached to a
semiautomatic weapon, substantially increases the rate of fire of that weapon.
(3)A reciprocating stock or other device that, when attached to a semiautomatic
weapon, substantially accelerates the rate of fire of the weapon.
Proposed law defines "semiautomatic weapon" as any repeating weapon that utilizes the
portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber to
the next round, and that requires a separate function of the trigger to fire each cartridge.
Effective August 1, 2018.
(Adds R.S. 40:1801 and 1802)
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.