Proposed Pennsylvania Bill Would Require Serialized Ammo, Encoded Ammo Database
Pennsylvania House Bill 586 was introduced on March 20, 2023. It proposes more firearm regulation via ammunition, and places increased responsibilities and punishments on ammunition manufacturers, FFL and SOT dealers, and every citizen who currently owns ammunition.
Here’s an outline of what the Bill includes. I will touch on each topic, so keep reading.
- All ammunition sold in Pennsylvania would be encoded with multiple serial numbers
- A requirement for anyone possessing non-encoded ammo to dispose of it by 1/1/24
- The creation of an “encoded ammunition database”
- Imposing penalties for violators who do not comply
- A new per-bullet tax to pay for the encoded ammunition database
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The manner established references one unique serial number used in three different locations. The serial number would be located at the base of each bullet, on the inside of each cartridge casing, and on the outside of each box of ammunition.
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Whenever a transaction is made, the purchaser would be required to provide the seller with detailed personal information.
The required information would include:
- The date of each ammunition purchase
- The name and date of birth of each purchaser of ammunition
- The driver’s license number of the purchaser or other number issued to the purchaser by the Federal Government or the State of Pennsylvania
- The serial numbers of all ammunition for regulated firearms bought by the purchaser
- Any other information that the commissioner considers necessary
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The encoded ammunition database shall be funded by the encoded ammunition database tax. The Bill reads, “in addition to any other tax imposed under the law, a tax of five cents per round of ammunition is imposed on the sale at retail or use of encoded ammunition in this Commonwealth.”
