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CIVIC HERALD
HR 2189 · 119th Congress · HouseOther

Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act

To modernize Federal firearms laws to account for advancements in technology and less-than-lethal weapons, and for other purposes.

In plain language: This bill exempts certain less-than-lethal projectile launchers from being classified and regulated as firearms under federal law. To qualify, a device must be designed not to cause death or serious injury, cannot fire standard ammunition or use regular firearm magazines, and cannot shoot projectiles faster than 500 feet per second. It also requires the Attorney General to review submitted devices within 90 days to determine if they meet the exemption criteria.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affectedNot determinable from the text provided; the bill affects an unspecified number of device manufacturers, law enforcement personnel, and consumers.
Fiscal magnitudeCBO cost estimate published (H.R. 2189, Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act, 2026-02-06); dollar figure pending review extraction — see receipt
Reach30provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Firearms−15

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • Manufacturers and distributors of less-than-lethal projectile devicesExempts their qualifying less-than-lethal projectile devices from the federal definition of a firearm under federal criminal code, freeing these devices from federal firearm regulations, and provides a process to obtain a formal classification within 90 days (Sec. 2(a)).provisional

Who it burdens

  • Department of Justice and Attorney GeneralMust review submitted devices and issue a formal determination within 90 days of receipt as to whether the device meets the statutory criteria for a less-than-lethal projectile device (Sec. 2(a)(2)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Exempts qualifying less-than-lethal projectile devices—those designed not to cause death or serious bodily injury, firing projectiles under 500 feet per second, and unable to use standard firearm ammunition or magazines—from federal firearm regulations.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional
  2. Requires the Attorney General to determine within 90 days whether a submitted device qualifies as an exempt less-than-lethal projectile device upon request.

    Sec. 2(a)(2)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Feb 24, 2026Received in the Senate.
  2. Feb 12, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Feb 12, 2026On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 233 - 185 (Roll no. 70). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2190-2191)
  4. Feb 12, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 233 - 185 (Roll no. 70). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2190-2191)
  5. Feb 11, 2026Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1057 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of S. 1383, H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one motion to recommit H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617, and one motion to commit S. 1383.
  6. Feb 9, 2026Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1042 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261 and H.R. 3617. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2189, H.R. 261, and H.R. 3617 under a closed rule and provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.
  7. Jan 30, 2026Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-472.
  8. Jan 30, 2026Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-472.
  9. Nov 20, 2025Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 8.
  10. Mar 18, 2025Introduced in House
  11. Mar 18, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 18 days ago

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