Sponsors (106)
I'll give you the short version of this bill.
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Introduced February 17, 2026 by Lucy Mcbath · Last progress February 17, 2026
Creates a federal process for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) that lets family members and law enforcement ask federal, state, and tribal courts to temporarily bar people who pose an imminent danger from buying, possessing, or receiving firearms and ammunition. The bill adds those orders to federal firearm prohibitions, updates background-check reporting, requires record rules and interstate recognition, and provides grants to help jurisdictions implement qualifying ERPO laws. Sets procedures for emergency ex parte orders and fuller orders after a hearing, rules for surrender and return of firearms, training and reporting requirements, penalties for false petitions, and a six-month delay before the law takes effect so agencies and jurisdictions can prepare.
The bill expands federal tools, funding, and reporting to take guns away from people judged to be an imminent risk — likely improving short‑term public safety and implementation consistency — while imposing significant temporary limits on individuals' firearm rights, new administrative and privacy/稽
General public: the bill empowers federal courts to temporarily prohibit and (when ordered) remove firearms from people judged to pose an imminent risk and blocks firearm transfers during active extreme-risk orders, reducing short-term access to guns for people deemed high-risk.
People involved in ERPOs: the law requires clear due-process safeguards at full hearings (notice, counsel including court-appointed, clear-and-convincing standard) and limits continued record retention after orders end, protecting respondents' legal rights and privacy when orders are properly handled.
Local communities and courts: federal grants finance staffing, training, and public outreach to help jurisdictions implement ERPOs and recognize risk indicators, likely improving local capacity to prevent firearm suicide and interpersonal violence.
People subject to ERPOs: the bill allows temporary seizure and prohibition of firearm possession (including ex parte short-term orders) for up to 180 days without a criminal conviction, substantially restricting gun rights for respondents and risking deprivation of property and possession before a full adversarial determination.
Courts, Marshals, and petitioners: expedited timelines (same-day or 72-hour deadlines) and requirements for seizure and custodial handling could strain federal courts and U.S. Marshals, increasing the risk of rushed or uneven decisions and operational burdens in busy jurisdictions.
Taxpayers, states, and agencies: implementing, updating, and maintaining national databases, background-check systems, training, and custodial processes will impose administrative and IT costs on federal, state, Tribal governments and taxpayers.