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# ARMAS Act of 2024 Summary This bill transfers regulatory authority over certain firearms and munitions exports from the Department of Commerce back to the Department of State, where such items were controlled prior to 2020. The legislation aims to address what Congress identifies as a significant problem of illegal firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, which fuels violence, gang activity, and organized crime in those regions. Within one year of enactment, the State Department must assume control of previously Commerce-controlled munitions and establish safeguards to prevent diversion of exported weapons to unauthorized users or those credibly implicated in human rights violations. The bill requires the State Department to conduct end-use monitoring, maintain detailed records of firearms serial numbers, and report annually to Congress on all munitions exports to designated countries. It also mandates development of an interagency strategy to combat firearms trafficking, improved data sharing with foreign partners, and congressional certification for certain munitions exports with 15 to 30-day review periods before licenses can be granted, depending on the destination country.

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