What makes this case so troubling is that the plaintiffs were not alleged to be prohibited persons. According to the lawsuit, Bergen County officials confiscated firearms, revoked or denied permits, and took other actions against law-abiding citizens based on concerns about someone else living in the household. If those allegations are accurate, the county has shifted the focus away from the conduct of the individual gun owner and onto the circumstances of a spouse, family member, or cohabitant. Constitutional rights should depend on a person’s own actions and legal status, not on who shares their address.
A new bill has been introduced by Congressman Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) in the United States House of Representatives that would repeal the Hughes Amendment. The bill, titled the “Firearm Freedom Act of 2026,” would undo the restrictions Congress placed on machine guns in 1986.
In 1986, Congress passed the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA), a measure intended to reform certain aspects of federal gun control laws and protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners. However, during a late-night session, Democrats added the Hughes Amendment. This addition effectively closed the machine gun registry and banned the transfer of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986. The amendment was passed by a highly contested voice vote, with questions later raised about its procedural legitimacy.
The new legislation seeks to reverse what many view as an unconstitutional stripping of rights from American citizens by once again allowing the legal transfer and ownership of newly manufactured machine guns by civilians.
By John Crump
