Courts

Firearms Policy Coalition filed a reply brief with the Fifth Circuit in Ziegenfuss v. Martin challenging three Texas laws that criminalize firearm carry at racetracks, alcohol-revenue businesses, and sporting events. Everytown for Gun Safety, the Houston Astros, and other organizations defended the bans, while Texas DPS Director Freeman Martin agreed they are unconstitutional but argued for dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.

The Firearms Policy Coalition thanked numerous individuals and organizations that filed amicus briefs supporting its Viramontes v. Cook County case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which challenges the constitutionality of "assault weapon" bans nationwide. The briefs argue that semiautomatic rifles are protected by the Second Amendment and are in common use for lawful purposes including self-defense, hunting, and target shooting.

The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) secured a major Second Amendment victory when the United States District Court for the District of Delaware ruled that the state's bans on possessing and self-manufacturing unserialized firearms are unconstitutional. The court held that unserialized firearms and firearm frames and receivers are protected "Arms" under the Second Amendment, and that Delaware failed to justify its bans under historical firearm regulations.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed an amicus brief in United States v. Squire urging the Fifth Circuit to reverse Curtis Squire's conviction, arguing Congress cannot use the Commerce Clause to criminalize local firearm possession merely because a gun crossed state lines. FPC President Brandon Combs stated the federal government cannot use the Commerce Clause as a backdoor to powers the Constitution never granted it.

Safari Club International (SCI), the Coalition to Save Catalina Island Deer, and HOWL For Wildlife expressed disappointment after the Los Angeles County Superior Court denied a preliminary injunction to halt the Catalina Island Conservancy's mule deer eradication plan. The organizations allege the California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the project without required environmental review and public process, and vow to pursue all available legal avenues to protect the deer.

Knife Rights filed an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the consolidated cases Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, arguing for a broad interpretation of the "common use" test under the Second Amendment that would benefit non-firearm arms like knives, not just firearms.

Safari Club International and the Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging protection of semi-automatic firearms commonly used in hunting under the Second Amendment, challenging bans enacted by Cook County, Illinois, and the State of Connecticut.

Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Century Arms, Canik USA, B&T USA, and Fostech filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Viramontes v. Cook County urging the court to strike down assault weapons bans and affirm that AR-15s and commonly owned semiautomatic rifles are protected by the Second Amendment.

The National Rifle Association filed an amicus brief with the American Suppressor Association and Independence Institute in the U.S. Supreme Court urging justices to strike down bans on semiautomatic rifles, including AR-15s, in Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, challenging restrictions in Illinois and Connecticut.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Pool v. Besson, asking the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to block the state's ban on handgun carry permits for 18-to-20-year-old adults. FPC had previously warned Louisiana of the constitutional violation and provided legislative language to fix it, but the state refused to act.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and partners including Maryland Shall Issue, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association filed a reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging Maryland's "sensitive places" carry ban in Novotny v. Moore. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut stated the law makes carry permits "useless everywhere" in violation of the Bruen ruling.

The Second Amendment Foundation, along with the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Second Amendment Law Center, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, filed an amicus brief with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Pratt v. Westbrook challenging subjective carry permit denials as unconstitutional under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

Safari Club International, Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation filed their final brief defending the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's denial of petitions to restore ESA protections for wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains, arguing recovered wolf populations thrive under state management.

A federal judge in Massachusetts denied the government's motion to dismiss a Second Amendment Foundation lawsuit challenging the state's burdensome non-resident license to carry process. The lawsuit, joined by Gun Owners Action League and three individuals, seeks to remove barriers including lengthy delays and mandatory annual renewals that the SAF argues unconstitutionally burden Second Amendment rights.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed its merits brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Viramontes v. Cook County, arguing that bans on semiautomatic rifles violate the Second Amendment. FPC President Brandon Combs stated the case could establish binding precedent eliminating unconstitutional arms bans nationwide.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed an opening brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in cases Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, challenging assault weapons bans in Illinois and Connecticut. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut and founder Alan M. Gottlieb argue that AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles are commonly possessed for lawful purposes and protected by the Second Amendment.

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico ruled New Mexico's seven-day firearm waiting period unconstitutional in Ortega v. Grisham, brought by the National Rifle Association and Mountain States Legal Foundation in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The court found the law violates the Second Amendment as waiting periods lack historical precedent in firearm regulation.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected a lawsuit by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Giffords Law Center against the ATF, ruling the plaintiffs lacked standing. Circuit Judge Consuelo M. Callahan determined that litigation cannot be based on speculation about future unlawful conduct.

A federal judge ruled the Biden administration's ATF "Frame or Receiver" Rule unconstitutional, siding with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Defense Distributed in Defense Distributed v. Blanche. The court found the rule violated the Second Amendment and due process by impermissibly infringing on the right to manufacture firearms and establishing unconstitutionally vague standards.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), alongside the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment Foundation, filed a federal lawsuit challenging New York's Senate Bill S9005C, which bans semiautomatic handguns with cruciform trigger bars. FPC seeks a declaration holding the law unconstitutional and an injunction against enforcement, continuing its nationwide campaign against similar Glock bans in California and Maryland.