SHORT Act

This bill, known as the "SHORT Act," significantly amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to redefine what constitutes a "firearm" under the National Firearms Act (NFA). It specifically removes short-barreled rifles , short-barreled shotguns , and "any other weapons" (AOWs) from NFA regulation, thereby eliminating federal taxes, registration, and transfer requirements for these items. The revised definition of "firearm" would primarily include machineguns, silencers, and destructive devices, while also clarifying that shotguns designed to shoot shotgun shells are not to be treated as destructive devices. The legislation further amends federal criminal code provisions to remove references to short-barreled rifles and shotguns in sections related to unlawful acts, effectively deregulating their transfer and possession at the federal level. To prevent states from imposing similar restrictions, the bill preempts state and local laws that levy taxes or require marking, recordkeeping, or registration for these newly deregulated items. It also stipulates that compliance with general federal firearms law would satisfy any state or local registration requirements tied to the NFA. Finally, the bill mandates the Attorney General to destroy all existing NFA registration and transfer records for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and "any other weapons" within one year of the Act's enactment.