HB4111, titled the Making America Safe and Secure Act of 2025 or the MASS Act, would create a new federal grant program for states that implement or maintain firearms licensing and firearms dealer licensing requirements. The bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to add a new part establishing definitions, state eligibility standards, application and reporting requirements, and conditions tied to the use of grant funds.
Under the bill, states receiving grants would need to require firearms licenses for purchase, rental, lease, and possession of firearms and ammunition, and firearms dealer licenses for certain sellers. The bill also sets out detailed licensing features, including background checks, suitability determinations, safety training for first-time applicants, revocation and appeal procedures, extreme risk protection order processes, surrender requirements for prohibited persons, dealer recordkeeping and inspection rules, reporting obligations, and safe-storage requirements. It also authorizes appropriations as necessary to fund the program.
The bill would not directly impose a nationwide licensing system, but it would use federal grant funding to encourage states to adopt or expand firearms and ammunition licensing regimes that meet the bill’s conditions. It would amend federal criminal justice grant law to create a new grant category, limit administrative spending, require annual state reporting, and authorize appropriations for implementation. If enacted, it would affect state licensing authorities, firearms dealers, private sellers, license applicants and holders, and individuals subject to disqualifying conditions such as criminal history, domestic violence orders, or extreme risk protection orders.
The available record shows little formal legislative debate or vote history, so overall sentiment cannot be measured from committee testimony or floor action. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, which indicates it is at an early stage. Based on the bill’s structure, its supporters likely view it as a public-safety measure aimed at reducing unlawful firearm access and improving oversight, while opponents would likely see it as a significant expansion of firearms regulation and state-federal pressure on gun ownership and sales.
The main points of contention are likely to be the scope of the licensing requirements and the degree of federal influence over state firearms policy. Provisions requiring licenses for possession, mandatory background checks and suitability determinations, dealer and private-seller verification and reporting, and safe-storage mandates may draw opposition from gun-rights advocates and states that resist stricter regulation. Supporters are likely to emphasize the bill’s focus on background checks, domestic violence and extreme risk protections, and dealer accountability, while critics may object to the breadth of disqualifying factors, the inclusion of ammunition, and the potential burden on lawful gun owners and small dealers.