United States · Bill · S
S. 494 (97th)
A bill to amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to strengthen the mandatory penalty for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Introduced
19 February 1981
Last action
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Status
Committee on Judiciary received executive comment from Office of the Attorney General.
Sponsors
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Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
10 August 2026
Summary
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1970 to revise and increase the mandatory penalties for using or carrying a firearm during commission of a Federal felony. Defines such offense as using a firearm to commit a felony over which the district courts have exclusive jurisdiction or carrying a firearm during such a felony involving violence. Deletes the requirement that the firearm be carried "illegally." Increases the additional penalty imposed for such offense from one to ten years' imprisonment to five to ten years' imprisonment for a first offender and from two to 25 years to ten years to life imprisonment for a second or subsequent offender. Extends to first offenders the directions, currently applicable only to second offenders, that the court not suspend any sentence or grant probation and that the additional sentence not run concurrently with any term of imprisonment imposed for the offense itself. Makes a first offender ineligible for parole for five years and a second or subsequent offender ineligible for ten years. Expresses the sense of Congress that the executive prosecute vigorously such offenses.
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Versions
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Documents
1 official file
Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 19 February 1981
Sponsors
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Sources
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- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/97th-congress/senate-bill/494
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/97/s/494