HR 60 · 119th CongressIn Committee

Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2025

Latest updateMar 25, 2025

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 13 - 10.

Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor

Andy Biggs

Introduced

January 3, 2025

Latest action

March 25, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 13 - 10.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

Currently, knife transportation laws vary dramatically across states and localities. Some states prohibit certain blade lengths, designs, or types entirely, while others allow broad carry rights. A person legally transporting a knife through one state may face arrest in an adjacent state with stricter rules, even if the knife remains secured in a vehicle or luggage. This patchwork of conflicting regulations creates legal uncertainty for travelers, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and others who lawfully possess knives in their home states but may inadvertently violate laws while crossing state lines.

The Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal right to transport knives interstate, overriding state and local restrictions. The law requires that individuals not otherwise prohibited by federal law may transport knives from any place where they may lawfully possess them to any other place where lawful possession is permitted, provided the knives are properly secured during transit. For motor vehicles, knives must be inaccessible from the passenger compartment or locked in a container, glove compartment, or console. For air travel, knives must be in locked containers outside the passenger cabin. For other transportation methods, knives must be in locked containers. Emergency safety knives designed for cutting seat belts may be carried in vehicle passenger compartments but remain prohibited from aircraft cabins.

The law takes effect immediately upon enactment with no specific funding mechanism required, as it primarily restricts state enforcement rather than creating new federal programs. Individuals arrested or detained in violation of the act's protections may sue for damages and recover attorney's fees if they prevail. States and localities retain authority to enforce their own knife laws against individuals not in compliance with the federal transportation requirements, but cannot arrest someone merely for possessing a lawfully-owned knife during interstate travel if it is properly secured. The burden of proof falls on states to demonstrate non-compliance with the act's specific storage and transport requirements in criminal proceedings.

Key Provisions

1Establishes a federal right allowing individuals to transport knives interstate from any location where lawful possession is permitted to any other location where lawful possession is permitted, notwithstanding state and local restrictions.
2Requires knives transported by motor vehicle to be inaccessible from the passenger compartment or secured in a locked container, glove compartment, or console, while allowing emergency safety knives with blunt or guarded blades to remain accessible in vehicle passenger compartments.
3Prohibits knives from being transported in aircraft passenger cabins except that emergency safety knives designed for cutting seat belts remain subject to Transportation Security Administration screening procedures and restrictions.
4Authorizes individuals to assert this federal protection as a claim or defense in civil or criminal proceedings, with states bearing the burden of proving non-compliance beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal cases.
5Establishes a private right of action allowing individuals to sue state or local officials for damages and recover reasonable attorney's fees when arrested or detained in violation of the act's protections.

★ Why this matters

Travelers can now transport lawfully-owned knives across state lines without fear of arrest for violating conflicting state or local knife laws, provided knives are properly secured during transit. The law eliminates legal uncertainty for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and others who may unknowingly violate knife restrictions when crossing state borders, and creates a federal floor that prevents states from enforcing knife transportation bans against compliant travelers.

● Who this affects

Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who transport knives across state lines; travelers and commuters who carry knives through multiple jurisdictions; individuals arrested under state knife transportation laws who can now seek damages and attorney's fees; state and local law enforcement agencies whose knife enforcement authority is limited to non-compliant transport; and states with strict knife restrictions that can no longer enforce those restrictions against interstate travelers meeting the act's storage requirements.

Bill Text

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<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 60

   To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport knives 
interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of State and local prohibitions 
                         that burden citizens.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2025

    Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself and Mr. Ogles) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

                                 A BILL

 
   To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport knives 
interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of State and local prohibitions 
                         that burden citizens.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Knife Owners' Protection Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF KNIVES.

    (a) Definitions.--As used in this section--
            (1) the term ``State'' means any of the 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the 
        Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United 
        States, and any other territory of the United States; and
            (2) the term ``transport''--
                    (A) includes staying in temporary lodging 
                overnight, common carrier misrouting or delays, stops 
                for food, fuel, vehicle maintenance, emergencies, 
                medical treatment, and all other activity related to 
                the overall journey of the individual; and
                    (B) does not include any transportation of 1 or 
                more knives with the intent to commit any offense 
                punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year 
                involving the use or threatened use of force against 
                another, or with knowledge, or reasonable cause to 
                believe, that such an offense is to be committed in the 
                course of, or arising from, such journey.
    (b) Requirements.--Notwithstanding any provision of any law or any 
rule or regulation of the United States, or of a State or any political 
subdivision of a State, any individual who is not otherwise prohibited 
by Federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a 
knife or knives shall be entitled to transport a knife or knives from 
any place where the individual may lawfully possess, carry, or 
transport such a knife or knives to any other place where the 
individual may lawfully possess, carry, or transport such a knife or 
knives if--
            (1) in the case of transportation by motor vehicle, the 
        knife is, or the knives are, not directly accessible from the 
        passenger compartment of the transporting motor vehicle, or, in 
        the case of a motor vehicle without…

Auto-Whip

Where House representatives currently stand

Built from official statements, public releases, and voting records where they exist. Members without enough evidence are marked as no position.

448 tracked

Support

447

No Position

Oppose

Support

Members whose public record points toward backing the bill.

No members in this group yet.

Opposition

Members whose public record points toward opposition.

Jason Crow

D-Colorado · District 6

Likely oppose

Representative Crow is a Democrat from Colorado with a stated priority on 'Gun Violence Prevention' prominently featured on his website. The Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2025 would likely restrict regulations on knives, which conflicts with his apparent commitment to violence prevention measures. While the public record doesn't explicitly mention this specific bill, his policy priorities and party affiliation (Democrats typically support stricter regulations on weapons) suggest he would likely oppose knife deregulation legislation. However, confidence is moderate rather than high because knife regulation is a less prominent issue than firearms, and no direct voting record on this specific bill is available.

Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2025

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

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Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2025

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

Where House representatives currently stand

Support

Opposition

No Position

Party Positions

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Take Action

Active Organizations