About, methodology & neutrality

Armed & Legislated tracks firearm-related legislation in all 50 state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, plus statewide ballot measures. It is independent and is not affiliated with any party, campaign, advocacy group, manufacturer or government body.

Neutrality statement

We do not support or oppose any bill, measure, candidate or policy. Entries describe what a bill or measure does, in plain language drawn from the official text, digest or legislative summary, and record what happened to it. We avoid loaded terms where a neutral one exists, and when a bill uses a defined legal term (for example "assault firearm" or "constitutional carry") we quote it as the bill or official summary does. Bills that loosen firearm rules and bills that tighten them are tracked by the same standards.

Sources

Status definitions

Introduced
Filed or introduced; no committee action recorded yet.
In committee
Referred to, or acted on by, a committee; has not yet passed either chamber.
Passed one chamber
Approved by the full House/Assembly or Senate; any later committee action in the second chamber keeps this status.
Passed both chambers
Approved in identical form by both chambers; awaiting the governor or President.
Signed into law
Signed by the governor or President.
Vetoed
Vetoed; an override may still be pending.
Became law without signature
Became law without the governor's signature.
Enacted over veto
Vetoed, then enacted when the legislature overrode the veto.
Failed / dead
Defeated, withdrawn, or died at the end of the session.
On the ballot
Certified for a statewide vote.
Approved by voters
Ballot measure approved at the election.
Rejected by voters
Ballot measure rejected at the election.

Effect definitions

The effect field is a short, descriptive classification of the bill's direct legal effect on firearm rules. It is not a judgment about whether the bill is good or bad, and every entry also has a one-line "what it does" description.

Restricts
Adds limits, requirements or penalties on making, buying, carrying or possessing firearms.
Expands
Removes limits or requirements, or broadens where/how firearms may be possessed or carried.
Mixed
Does some of both, or the outcome depends on the vote (e.g. a referendum).
Administrative
Procedural, reporting, funding or symbolic; no direct change to who may own or carry.

Topics

2A sanctuary / constitutional, Age limits, Ammunition, Assault weapons, Background checks, Concealed / open carry, Dealers, Domestic violence, Ghost guns / 3D printing, Industry liability, Less-lethal devices, Machine-gun conversion, Magazines, Permits & licensing, Preemption, Prohibited persons, Ranges & hunting, Red flag / ERPO, Rights restoration, Safe storage, Self-defense / use of force, Sensitive places, State symbols, Suppressors, Taxes & fees, Violence prevention programs, Waiting periods.

What is included

We prioritize bills with recent official action (signed, vetoed, passed a chamber, on the ballot) and notable pending bills in full-time legislatures and Congress. We do not track every firearm bill filed; counts reflect this site's coverage, not the total number of bills in a state.

Dates and updates

Action dates are as recorded by the legislature (local dates). "Added" and "updated" show when this site recorded the entry or last changed it. The site is refreshed several times a day; the RSS feed has one item per status change and the weekly digest groups actions by week.

Open data

All entries are in bills.json.

Corrections

This is not legal advice. Laws change, courts may block them, and summaries can contain errors; always read the official text. To report a mistake, contact the site owner through the site's hosting profile and include the official link; corrections are made promptly.