Sponsors (130)
Last progress June 10, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 10, 2025 by James Enos Clyburn
Changes the federal background-check process for firearm sales by altering the timing and procedures dealers must follow before transferring a firearm, requiring the Attorney General to create a petition form and to respond quickly, and allowing dealers to rely on certain government notifications for limited time windows. It also creates multiple oversight and transparency requirements: recurring GAO implementation reports, an annual FBI public report on delayed NICS petitions, a DOJ Inspector General count of NICS referrals to ATF, and an Attorney General study on impacts to victims of domestic violence and related offenses. All changes take effect 210 days after enactment, with several reports due earlier.
Replaces clause (ii) of paragraph (1)(B) of 18 U.S.C. 922(t) with new timing and petition conditions. The new text states that if the system has not notified the licensee that receipt of a firearm would violate subsection (g) or (n) or State, local, or Tribal law, then: (I) not fewer than 10 business days must have elapsed since the licensee contacted the system, and the other person must have submitted a petition for review either electronically through a website established by the Attorney General or by first-class mail; and (II) 10 business days must have elapsed since the other person submitted the petition and the system still has not notified the licensee that the receipt would violate subsection (g) or (n) or State, local, or Tribal law.
Defines “business days” for these provisions to mean a day on which State offices are open.
Amends subparagraph (C) by changing clause text to state: “the transfer could be completed lawfully pursuant to subparagraph (B)(ii) if the person had attained 21 years of age.” (Also adds an “or” at the end of clause (i).)
Requires the Attorney General to prescribe the form on which a petition shall be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1)(B)(ii).
Requires the Attorney General to make the petition form available electronically and to provide a copy of the form to all licensees referred to in paragraph (1).
Who is affected and how:
Federally licensed firearms dealers: They must follow new timing and petition procedures before transferring firearms, use a standardized petition form once issued, and may rely on new limited safe‑harbor time windows tied to government notifications. Dealers may see clearer rules but will need to change sales procedures, training, and recordkeeping.
Prospective firearm purchasers: Individuals seeking to buy firearms may face different waiting periods, a formalized petition process to resolve delayed NICS checks, and potentially faster or clearer outcomes when petitions are adjudicated. Some buyers may face denials or delays documented and reported by agencies.
Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence: The Attorney General must study and report on whether the changes increase or decrease victim safety. The law requires State-level analysis to determine whether altered background-check timing reduces risks, so these victims may be directly affected by any operational changes to transfer timing and petition outcomes.
Law enforcement and prosecutors (Federal, State, local, Tribal): Increased reporting (FBI, DOJ IG, GAO) will provide more data on denials, delays, referrals to ATF, and subsequent prosecutions. ATF and other investigators may receive referrals that could change enforcement workloads and priorities.
Federal agencies and oversight bodies: The Attorney General, FBI, DOJ Inspector General, and GAO are assigned new reporting and implementation tasks that require staff time and coordination. Some deadlines are short (90–150 days), increasing near‑term workload.
Public transparency and researchers: Annual and multi‑year reports will make data on delayed background checks, denials, legal bases for ineligibility, and prosecution outcomes publicly available, enabling more analysis of how background checks function in practice.
Net effect summary: The bill reforms procedural aspects of NICS-related transfers and creates transparency and oversight mechanisms intended to measure performance and effects on victims. It shifts some operational detail to federal agencies for implementation; outcomes for safety and access will depend in part on how agencies design the petition form, adjudication timelines, and the precise safe‑harbor mechanics.
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.