Pennsylvania House Bill HB1065

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/31/25
• Refer: 3/31/25

Caption

In firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for definitions and providing for the offense of sale of firearm or firearm parts without serial numbers and for privately made firearms.

Summary

HB1065 would amend Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code provisions on firearms to create new definitions and new offenses focused on unserialized firearm components and privately made firearms. The bill defines terms such as firearm frame or receiver, firearm kit, partially complete or inoperable frame or receiver, split or modular receiver, destroyed receiver, and privately made firearm. It also defines what it means for a frame or receiver to be “readily convertible” and what constitutes proper destruction of a receiver. The bill makes it a third-degree felony to sell or transfer, including as part of a firearm kit, certain unserialized firearm frames, receivers, silencer parts, split or modular receivers, or unfinished receivers. It also makes it a second-degree felony for a person who is not licensed or registered under federal law to purchase or obtain those same items without a serial number for the purpose of manufacturing or assembling a firearm. An exception is provided for destroyed frames or receivers. HB1065 further imposes duties on federal firearms licensees regarding privately made firearms. Licensees would have to mark, arrange to have marked, destroy, or surrender such firearms within specified timeframes, and record them in acquisition and disposition records. The bill also prohibits dealers and gunsmiths from performing certain repair or modification work on behalf of licensed importers or manufacturers and gives licensees the right to refuse to accept or work on privately made firearms. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment. The bill’s impact would be to tighten state regulation of ghost guns and unfinished firearm parts by aligning Pennsylvania law more closely with serial-number and marking requirements for firearms and components. It would affect sellers, purchasers, gunsmiths, dealers, manufacturers, importers, and anyone dealing in unfinished or privately assembled firearms, while also creating new criminal penalties for conduct involving unserialized parts. No committee debate or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears aimed at gun tracing and enforcement, and likely reflects concern about untraceable firearms. Potential points of contention would include the scope of the definitions, the felony penalties for transfer or purchase of unfinished parts, and the operational burden placed on federal firearms licensees to mark, record, or surrender privately made firearms.

Impact

HB1065 would amend Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding new definitions and creating new criminal offenses related to unserialized firearm frames, receivers, firearm kits, silencer components, and privately made firearms. It would impose third-degree felony liability for selling or transferring certain unserialized firearm parts and second-degree felony liability for obtaining those parts for firearm manufacture without proper federal licensing. The bill would also require federal firearms licensees to mark, record, or dispose of privately made firearms under specified conditions and would restrict certain repair and modification services involving those firearms.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or vote records were provided, so there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or recorded sentiment. From the bill’s structure and sponsor list, the measure appears to have been introduced with support from members concerned about firearm tracing and regulation of ghost guns. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the supplied materials means any broader sentiment can only be inferred from the bill’s enforcement-oriented approach, not from documented discussion.

Contention

The most likely areas of contention are the bill’s broad definitions of firearm frames, receivers, kits, and “readily convertible” items, which could draw concern from gun-rights advocates and some industry participants. The new felony penalties for selling or acquiring unfinished or unserialized parts may also be disputed as overly expansive or difficult to enforce. In addition, the requirements placed on federal firearms licensees to mark, track, refuse, or surrender privately made firearms could be viewed as burdensome by dealers and gunsmiths, while supporters would likely argue those provisions are necessary to improve traceability and reduce unregulated ghost guns.