Rhode Island House passes assault weapons ban

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed an assault weapons ban on Thursday.

The Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2025 would prohibit the manufacture, purchase, sale, transfer, and possession of certain “assault weapons,” including certain types of semi-automatic shotguns, rifles and pistols, and would levy criminal penalties for anyone convicted of violating the ban.

The measure passed in a 43-28 vote after an amendment was added that more precisely defined the types of weapons that would be banned, as well as removing the requirement to register weapons that would be grandfathered in.

Rep. Jason Knight, who sponsored the bill in the House, said its goal was to “end the proliferation of powerful weapons that enable mass shooters to kill as many victims as possible.”

“Uvalde, Parkland, Las Vegas, the Pulse nightclub, Newtown, Aurora – in all of our nation’s deadliest mass shootings, the tool that enabled the perpetrator to kill so many victims was an assault weapon,” Knight said. “They are the preferred weapon of mass shooters because their sole purpose is to vastly increase the magnitude of death and destruction their user can inflict.”

The ban would have exemptions for current and retired law enforcement officers, active-duty members of the armed forces, National Guard or reserves, federally licensed firearm dealers, and individuals who lawfully possess an assault weapon when the ban would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Owners of grandfathered weapons would have the option to voluntarily register them, and would be restricted on where they could possess them, including their home, business or other property they own, licensed gun ranges and shooting clubs, sanctioned gun expos and similar events, and while transporting the weapon to and from such places or to a licensed gun dealer.

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence said it was “celebrating” the passage of the ban in the House.

“It is a historic day in the Rhode Island House of Representatives,” Executive Director Melissa Carden said. “And now we move on to the Senate, where we are confident gun safety champion and Senate President Val Lawson will make sure this legislation gets to the Senate floor for a vote.”

The ban will now be heard in the Senate.