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H.R. 4688
U.S. House•In House Committee
Summary
H.R. 4688, the COOL OFF Act, was introduced in the House on Jul 23, 2025 by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) with 24 co-sponsors. It was referred to Judiciary, and last saw action on Jul 23, 2025: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Record
Text
H.R. 4688 has 24 co-sponsors.
hb4688/introduced-in-house.txt119 HR 4688 IH: Choosing Our Own Lives Over Fast Firearms ActU.S. House of Representatives2025-07-23text/xmlENPursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4688 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 23, 2025 Mr. Krishnamoorthi (for himself, Mr. Auchincloss , Mr. Casten , Ms. Castor of Florida , Mr. Cohen , Mr. Davis of Illinois , Mr. Carbajal , Mr. Lieu , Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Mr. Khanna , Mr. Keating , Mr. Morelle , Ms. Norton , Mr. Quigley , Ms. Schakowsky , Mr. Thanedar , and Mr. Vargas ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILLTo provide for a 3-day waiting period before a person may receive a handgun, with exceptions.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Choosing Our Own Lives Over Fast Firearms Act or the COOL OFF Act .2.3-day waiting period required before receipt of a handgun, with exceptions(a)Transfers between persons who are not firearms licenseesSection 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:(aa)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for a person not licensed under this chapter, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, to receive a handgun from another person not licensed under this chapter unless at least 3 business days (meaning a day on which State offices are open) have elapsed since the recipient most recently offered to take possession of the handgun.(2)Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a handgun transfer that meets the conditions of subsection (t)(7)..(b)Transfers by firearms licensees to non-LicenseesSection 922(t) of such title is amended—(1)in paragraph (1)—(A)by striking and at the end of subparagraph (C)(iii)(II);(B)by striking the period and inserting ; and at the end of subparagraph (D); and(C)by adding at the end the following:(E)in the case of a handgun transfer that does not meet the conditions of paragraph (7), 3 business days (meaning a day on which State offices are open) have elapsed since the licensee contacted the system.; and(2)by adding at the end the following:(7)A handgun transfer meets the conditions of this paragraph if—(A)the transferee is a law enforcement agency or any law enforcement officer, armed private security professional, or member of the armed forces, to the extent the officer, professional, or member is acting within the course and scope of employment and official duties;(B)the transfer is a loan between spouses, between domestic partners, between parents and their children, between siblings, between aunts or uncles and their nieces or nephews, or between grandparents and their grandchildren, for a lawful purpose;(C)the transfer is temporary and necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, if the possession by the transferee lasts only as long as immediately necessary to prevent the imminent death or great bodily harm; or(D)the transfer is temporary and the transferor has no reason to believe that the transferee will use or intends to use the firearm in a crime or is prohibited from possessing firearms under State or Federal law, and the transfer takes place and the transferee’s possession of the firearm is exclusively—(i)at a shooting range or in a shooting gallery or other area designated for the purpose of target shooting;(ii)while reasonably necessary for the purposes of hunting, trapping, or fishing, if the transferor—(I)has no reason to believe that the transferee intends to use the firearm in a place where it is illegal; and(II)has reason to believe that the transferee will comply with all licensing and permit requirements for such hunting, trapping, or fishing; or(iii)while in the presence of the transferor..(c)PenaltiesSection 924(a)(1)(B) of such title is amended by striking or (q) and inserting (q), or (aa) .(d)Effective dateThe amendments made by this section shall apply to conduct engaged in after the 90-day period that begins with the date of the enactment of this Act.
Tracker
The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.
- Introduced2025-07-23
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Conference
- To President
- Became Law
CRS Summary
The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.
Introduced in House Jul 23, 2025
hb4688/introduced-in-house.mdShown Here:
Introduced in House (07/23/2025)
Choosing Our Own Lives Over Fast Firearms Act or the COOL OFF Act
This bill establishes a three-day waiting period for certain handgun transfers.
Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful for a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to sell or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual unless three business days have elapsed since the licensee initiated a background check. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to one year in prison, or both.
Additionally, the bill makes it unlawful for an unlicensed individual to receive a handgun from another unlicensed individual unless at least three business days have elapsed since the recipient most recently offered to take possession of the handgun. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
The three-day waiting period does not apply to certain handgun transfers, such as for a loan between spouses for a lawful purpose.
Sponsors
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) sponsors H.R. 4688, and 24 members have co-sponsored it, 16 of them from the day it was introduced.

Rep. · D–IL-8 · Sponsor
Introduced Jul 23, 2025

Rep. · D–DC-0 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–MA-4 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–CA-24 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–IL-6 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–FL-14 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–TN-9 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–IL-7 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–GA-4 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original

Rep. · D–MA-9 · Co-sponsor
Joined Jul 23, 2025 · Original
Committees
H.R. 4688 went before 1 committee: Judiciary.
Actions
H.R. 4688 has taken 2 actions since Jul 23, 2025.
| Chamber | Action | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 23, 2025 | House | Introduced in House | ||
Jul 23, 2025 | House | Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Judiciary Committee |
Votes
H.R. 4688 has not gone to a roll call.
Titles
H.R. 4688 goes by 4 titles, 2 of them short titles.
- COOL OFF Act — Display Title
- To provide for a 3-day waiting period before a person may receive a handgun, with exceptions. — Official Title as Introduced
- COOL OFF Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Choosing Our Own Lives Over Fast Firearms Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
Lobbying
1 client hired 1 firm and 5 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 4688 in 2 quarterly filings, 2025. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.
Filed under Firearms/Guns/Ammunition.
Clients
Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.
| Client | Business | State | Firms | Filings | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA INC | — | Virginia | 1 | 2 | — |
Firms
Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.
| Registrant | Clients | Filings | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, INC. | 1 | 2 | — |
Lobbyists
Named on the filings that cite the bill.
| Lobbyist | Firms | Clients | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIDAN JOHNSTON | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| BENJAMIN SANDERSON | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| ERICH PRATT | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| JEAN PICHARDO | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| JOHN VELLECO | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Filings
The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.
| Client | Registrant | Period | Reported | Document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA INC | GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, INC. | 2025 fourth_quarter | $545.7K | 4th Quarter - Report |
| GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA INC | GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, INC. | 2025 third_quarter | $465.1K | 3rd Quarter - Report |
Classification
The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 4688 under Crime and Law Enforcement, one of its 31 policy areas.
CRS Subjects
CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 4688’s is Crime and Law Enforcement.
hr4688/policy-areas.txtConstitutional authority
The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 4688, as entered in the Congressional Record.
[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 23, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI:H.R. 4688.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following: Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 ``TheCongress shall have Power to . . . provide for the . . .general Welfare of the United States; . . .''[Page H3648]
Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com