Why It Matters
Missouri’s ongoing effort to shield gun owners from federal firearms enforcement has stalled again, dealing a significant blow to Second Amendment activists who have pushed to restore the state’s controversial firearm nullification law. The defeat in a House committee signals that resistance to the legislation extends beyond party lines, with Republican lawmakers raising concerns about legal liability, law enforcement cooperation, and the real-world impact on licensed gun dealers across the state.
The outcome has direct implications for Missouri gun dealers, local governments, and federal-state law enforcement relationships — and suggests that reviving the original 2021 law remains an uphill battle despite continued pressure from gun-rights advocacy groups.
What Happened
The Missouri House General Laws Committee voted 9-3 on Wednesday, March 26, 2026, against a bill that would have revived the state’s Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA). The legislation was designed to bar state and local officials from enforcing certain federal firearms laws, including registration requirements, tracking of gun ownership, and confiscation orders targeting law-abiding citizens.
The bill also retained a $50,000 civil penalty against officials found to have violated the act’s provisions. Opponents argued that penalty created a system vulnerable to abuse and would expose local governments and taxpayers to significant financial risk.
The committee is made up of 11 Republicans and five Democrats. With four members absent on the day of the vote, the bill still would have failed even with full attendance, underscoring the depth of opposition to the measure.
Two Republican members of the committee publicly broke with the bill before the vote. State Rep. Mike Costlow of Dardenne Prairie, himself a firearms dealer, called the bill “absolutely not second amendment friendly,” arguing it would force gun dealers into an impossible position — either comply with federal law and face state liability, or follow state law and risk federal consequences. State Rep. Jamie Gragg of Ozark said he consulted with local law enforcement in his district before the vote and came away unconvinced the bill would benefit public safety or gun rights.
By the Numbers
- 9-3: The committee vote against advancing the Second Amendment Preservation Act revival bill.
- 16 members: Total size of the House General Laws Committee, including 11 Republicans and 5 Democrats.
- $50,000: The civil penalty included in the bill for officials found in violation of the act’s provisions.
- 2021: The year Missouri’s original Second Amendment Preservation Act was passed into law.
- Multiple sessions: Missouri lawmakers have attempted to revive or strengthen SAPA in successive legislative sessions since federal courts struck down key provisions of the original law.
Zoom Out
Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act was part of a broader wave of state-level firearm nullification laws that emerged in the early 2020s, as conservative-led legislatures sought to limit the reach of federal gun regulations. Similar measures were introduced or passed in states including Kansas, Arizona, and Montana, though several faced serious legal challenges in federal court.
Missouri’s original SAPA was largely gutted after federal courts ruled that the law interfered with federal supremacy and threatened cooperation between state and federal law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Department of Justice and federal prosecutors in Missouri had been vocal critics of the law, warning that it damaged relationships with local agencies involved in firearms trafficking investigations and violent crime enforcement.
The recurring defeat of SAPA revival efforts in Missouri reflects a national tension between state-level gun rights activism and the practical realities of law enforcement cooperation under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
What’s Next
With the bill failing to advance out of committee, the legislation is effectively dead for the current session of the Missouri General Assembly. Supporters of the Second Amendment Preservation Act have historically returned to the effort in subsequent sessions, meaning another attempt in the 2027 legislative session remains possible.
Gun-rights advocates and outside organizations who backed the bill are expected to continue lobbying Missouri lawmakers, though the bipartisan opposition seen Wednesday may complicate future efforts to build the necessary support. Law enforcement groups, gun dealers, and local government associations that have consistently opposed SAPA are likely to remain active in any future debate over the legislation.