States Are Passing Gun Safety Laws That Congress Will Not Touch

The Federal Vacuum

Congress has not passed major gun safety legislation since the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in June 2022. That bill raised the age for some purchases and funded state crisis intervention programs. It did not touch assault weapons, universal background checks, or any of the measures gun safety advocates have pushed for decades.

States filled the gap. Between 2023 and 2026, at least seven states enacted significant gun safety laws — banning assault weapon sales, closing background check loopholes, restricting Glock switches, and requiring purchase permits. The NRA sued over several of these laws. The laws stand.

What States Passed

What Changed and Why

Three things made 2025-2026 different from previous years.

First, Glock switches forced the issue. These thumb-sized devices convert a standard semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon. They cost $20 online and started showing up in crime scenes across the country. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont introduced HB 5043 specifically to address them. “You’ve got to continue to update your gun safety laws as the bad guys continue to come up with ways to turn recreational firearms into murder weapons,” Lamont said.

Second, new governors acted. Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger signed an assault weapons ban on May 14, 2026 — the first in a Southern state. The NRA filed lawsuits in both state and federal court within days. Rhode Island’s Dan McKee signed his state’s ban after pushing for it in three consecutive State of the State addresses.

Third, courts held the line. Illinois’ assault weapons ban survived a state supreme court challenge and remains in effect while federal litigation continues in the Seventh Circuit. Washington’s sweeping package — including the nation’s first purchase permit requirement with mandatory live-fire training — has not been struck down.

“Today, we’re delivering progress on the work to keep our children, families, and communities safe from gun violence. This law builds on the important momentum we’ve created over the last few years.” — Gov. Dan McKee, Rhode Island, upon signing the assault weapons ban

The Opposition Playbook

The NRA’s response has been consistent: file lawsuits, claim slippery slopes, warn about confiscation. After Virginia’s ban, the organization sued immediately in Washington County. After Illinois’ ban, the Trump DOJ filed an amicus brief supporting the NRA’s challenge. Every new state law gets the same treatment: “unconstitutional,” “overreach,” “punishes law-abiding citizens.”

But the legal record tells a different story. State supreme courts in Illinois and elsewhere have upheld these bans. Grandfathering provisions — letting current owners keep their weapons — have undercut the confiscation argument. And the laws keep passing anyway, because legislators in these states decided that waiting for Congress was no longer an option.

What You Can Do

1. Write your state legislators on Resistbot and ask where they stand on assault weapons legislation, purchase permits, and Glock switch bans.
2. Check your state’s gun laws at Giffords Law Center to see what protections exist and what gaps remain.
3. If you live in Connecticut, contact Gov. Lamont’s office and urge him to sign HB 5043.
4. Share this with anyone who says gun safety legislation is impossible. Seven states proved otherwise.

Federal inaction is not an excuse. It is a reason to look at your statehouse.