The Alabama House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security Wednesday approved a bill that would make possession of a Glock switch a Class C felony.

SB116, brought forth by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery, would make possessing any part or combination of parts designed and intended to convert a pistol into a machine gun, often known as Glock switches, punishable by a term between 366 days and 10 years, according to state code.

Rep. Philip Ensler, D-Montgomery, who brought forth the House version of the bill earlier this month, presented the bill to the committee on Barfoot’s behalf.

It was approved with an amendment that would put the proposed law into effect immediately if it were signed by Gov. Kay Ivey.

Currently, there is no state law that makes Glock switches illegal, although they are illegal federally.

“We recognize this is a problem in our community,” Ensler said.

“The sooner it can be signed by the governor and go into effect, the better.”

SB116 was previously amended in the Senate to enforce penalties for the possession of a machine gun conversion device even if it cannot be proven that someone was “knowingly” in possession.

The bill now moves to the House floor for a full vote.

Despite arguments from Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, and Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, that the state’s new permitless carry policy could be to blame for increased gun violence, Barfoot has said that “guns and conversion devices are not the real problem.”

“The real problem are the people who use those,” he said previously.

He said in the Senate last week that regulating firearm devices is a “balancing act” with 2nd Amendment rights.