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HF 5160

Ownership, possession, and sale of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines regulated; provisions for possessing dangerous weapons in schools, negligently storing firearms, and reporting on firearms discharge by law enforcement modified; other firearm provisions modified; and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Nathan Coulter and 7 co-sponsors

HF 5160 fundamentally tightens controls on semiautomatic military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, including bans, transfers, certifications, ghost gun serializa

Introduction and first reading, referred to Public Safety Finance and Policy
#appropriations #educationandeducationdepartment #firearmsanddangerousweapons #lawenforcement #publicsafetydepartment
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Bill Summary · HF 5160

Overview

  • Bill: HF 5160
  • Session: Minnesota, 2025-2026
  • Primary focus: Regulation of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons (SAMSWs) and large-capacity magazines (LCMs); enhanced school-safety measures (including school threat reporting); updates to extreme risk protection order laws; and related mental health and public safety provisions. Includes appropriations to support these changes and mandated reporting.

Purpose and intent

  • Create a comprehensive framework to reduce gun violence and improve school safety by:
    • Tightening ownership, possession, and transfer rules for SAMSWs and LCMs.
    • Expanding and clarifying prohibited conduct and safety requirements in and around schools.
    • Strengthening the extreme risk protection order (ERPO) process.
    • Supporting mental health resources and school safety initiatives through targeted funding and reporting.

Key provisions and changes

Article 1 — Appropriations and funding

  • Public safety, education, and health-related appropriations, including:
    • Public awareness and ERPO-related activities (one-time): $100,000.
    • Violence prevention research center focused on gun violence: $500,000 (one-time).
    • School safety grants for nonpublic schools: $1,000,000 (one-time) with administration cap of 5%.
    • Onetime school safety-related grants for various programs (e.g., mobile crisis, family peer specialists, mental health professional grants) totaling tens of millions over 2026-2027.
    • School Safety Aid for fiscal year 2027: $19,000,000 (one-time) with a formulaic basis for district-wide aid; eligible uses align with Safe Schools revenue scope.
    • Reimbursement rate adjustments for mental health providers under MA program: $5.81 million (approx.) in the second year.

Article 2 — Semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines

  • Sec. 1: Definition of SAMSWs

    • Broad list of specific weapon models and variations treated as SAMSWs.
    • Includes both certain named rifles/pistols/shotguns and broader categories (e.g., weapons with certain features or configurations that make them substantially similar to listed models).
    • Effective date: July 1, 2027 for crimes after that date.

  • Sec. 2: Large-capacity magazines

    • Defines large-capacity magazines as those holding more than 17 rounds.
    • Certain exceptions apply (e.g., permanently altered devices, tubular lever-action magazines, etc.).
    • Effective date: July 1, 2027.

  • Sec. 3: Federally licensed dealers and SAMSWs

    • Dealers prohibited from selling SAMSWs or LCMs; dealers are subject to SAMSW/LCM selling restrictions.
    • Effective July 1, 2027.

  • Sec. 4–5: Transfers and records

    • Unlicensed transfers of SAMSWs or LCMs prohibited unless through a licensed dealer or under defined exceptions.
    • Requires transferee permits; transfers of SAMSWs/LCMs require proof of legal acquisition and BCA certification of the item.
    • Transfer records must include detailed information and be retained for 10 years.

  • Sec. 6: Sales prohibitions and exclusions

    • Broad prohibition on sales of SAMSWs and LC magazines by non-dealers; enumerates exclusions (e.g., transfers to dealers, law enforcement, armed forces, immediate family, collectors under certain licenses, gifts or transfers for less than 30 days, etc.).
    • Penalties: gross misdemeanor generally; felony (up to 3 years, $10,000) for sales exceeding ten units within 180 days.

  • Sec. 7–8: Certification and related provisions

    • Certification of SAMSWs/LCMs ownership required via BCA; three-year renewal; fees may be charged.
    • Data privacy for certification records; exceptions for certain government and dealer activities.
    • Effective July 1, 2027; certification system implementation effective upon enactment.

  • Sec. 9–11: ERPO and related practices

    • Revisions to ERPO framework, including process, forms, and service responsibilities.
    • Mental health professionals’ duty to warn and coordinate with law enforcement improved.
    • Hearings for ERPOs must occur within 14 days of filing (after hearing). Emergency relief provisions retained.
    • Transmission of ERPO status to NICS within three business days; sharing of health records under protective terms.

Article 3 — Other firearms provisions

  • Anonymous threat reporting system (Section [121A.036])

    • Encourages local anonymous threat reporting in districts; requires crisis infrastructure, training, and data sharing protocols.
    • Statewide system options listed if districts do not implement local systems; reporting by districts to the Department of Education.
    • By Sept 1, 2027: Department of Education to provide a list of third-party providers meeting requirements.
    • Annual reporting beginning Jan 15, 2029, detailing system usage and reports, disaggregated by site starting July 1, 2026.

  • Possession on school property and penalties (Sec. 2, 609.66 subd. 1d)

    • Retains current framework for possessing dangerous weapons on school property; expands definitions and exceptions, including secure storage requirements for authorized on-duty holders.

  • Firearm storage and “negligent storage” (Sec. 4)

    • Adds negligence provisions for storing firearms where a child or prohibited person could access them.

  • Ghost guns and serialization (Articles 2–3; Secs. 5–7)

    • Serial numbers, ghost gun prohibitions, serialization requirements for firearms and parts.
    • Enforcement and penalties outlined; transitions for ghost gun serialization in 2026-2027.
    • New sections establish serialization processes for guns, frames, and receivers; detailed recordkeeping obligations for FFLs.

  • Miscellaneous

    • Definitions and cross-references to ensure consistency across sections; effective dates for new provisions generally set for 2026-2027 depending on the subsection.

Affected parties

  • Individual gun owners and potential buyers of SAMSWs/LCMs (new certifications, purchases, transfers, and possession restrictions).
  • Federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) and their transfer workflows, serialization duties, and recordkeeping.
  • Law enforcement agencies (service of ERPOs, enforcement of ghost gun and serialization provisions).
  • School districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools (anonymous threat reporting systems, local safety grants, school safety aid).
  • Mental health providers and healthcare professionals (reimbursement rate adjustments and ERPO-related reporting).
  • Department of Education and Department of Public Safety (oversight, reporting, and coordination on threat reporting and ERPO processes).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Key effective dates:
    • July 1, 2026: Ghost gun, serialization, and related storage/storage-notion updates applicable; local threat reporting rollout and state-level options encouraged.
    • August 1, 2026: School property storage exceptions and related school-on-campus protections take effect.
    • August 1, 2026 onward: Ghost gun-related provisions and serial-number requirements enforcement begin; data practices and reporting continue.
    • July 1, 2027: Major SAMSW/LCM prohibitions, transfers, and ownership certification become effective; expanded dealer prohibitions and penalties apply; summarized in Sec. 6.
    • 2027-2029: Ongoing reporting requirements for anonymous threat systems; school safety aid program activation in 2027.
  • Onetime vs. continuing appropriations:
    • Several listed appropriations are one-time (e.g., certain public awareness, violence prevention center, nonpublic school grants).
    • Other items (e.g., ongoing mental health reimbursements) anticipate ongoing funding in 2026-2027.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a one-page briefing for policymakers or a citizen-facing summary with a Q&A on common questions (e.g., “What is a SAMSW under HF 5160?”, “What are the penalties for ghost guns?”).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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