Bill > LD953

This bill modifies the legal definition of "machine gun" in the Maine Criminal Code by expanding and clarifying what constitutes a machine gun. The updated definition now focuses on weapons that can shoot automatically more than one shot with a single trigger pull, without manually reloading. Importantly, the new definition goes beyond just the weapon itself and includes additional components, such as the weapon's frame or receiver, specific parts designed to convert a weapon into a machine gun, and combinations of parts that could be assembled into a machine gun. This broader definition aims to provide law enforcement and legal professionals with a more comprehensive and precise description of what qualifies as a machine gun under Maine state law, potentially closing previous legal loopholes and making it easier to regulate such weapons. The bill amends the existing statutory language in the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated (MRSA) Title 17-A, Section 1051, Subsection 2, which previously had a narrower definition focused on a weapon's capability to discharge multiple projectiles in rapid succession.

Justice

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=953&snum=132