Sponsors (112)
Official title: To authorize the issuance of extreme risk protection orders.
Introduced February 17, 2026 by Lucy Mcbath · Last progress February 17, 2026
The bill strengthens federal coordination, reporting, and funding to ensure extreme risk and domestic-violence-related firearm restrictions are enforceable across states and tribes—likely reducing immediate risks of gun violence and suicide—while increasing data-sharing, administrative costs, and the risk of temporary or unequal deprivation of firearm rights and privacy concerns.
People judged by courts to pose a significant risk (including families, victims, tribal residents, veterans, and people with suicidal or violent risk) will have firearms removed or blocked across state and tribal lines, increasing immediate protection from firearm suicide and violence.
Law enforcement, courts, and background-check systems (NICS) will get standardized national reporting and clearer authority to identify people subject to qualifying orders, improving background checks and cross-jurisdictional enforcement to prevent firearm purchases by prohibited persons.
State, tribal, and local law enforcement and courts will receive federal grants, training, and technical assistance (including public-awareness subgrants) to build capacity to implement ERPOs, recognize high-risk individuals, and connect people to social services.
Respondents (including people with disabilities and racial-ethnic minorities) may be temporarily deprived of firearms—sometimes via ex parte orders or delayed hearings—risking erroneous or prolonged loss of rights and liberty.
The bill expands federal prohibitions and creates criminal penalties/civil forfeiture for violations or false petitions, which could criminalize people, deter legitimate petitioners, and produce conflicts between state ERPOs and federal enforcement.
Adding ERPO data to national databases and increasing reporting raises privacy risks, potential misuse of sensitive information, and the chance of false positives that can impede individuals' rights until corrected.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal ERPO system, makes ERPOs a federal firearms disqualification, funds state/tribal/local ERPO implementation, and allows ERPO records in national databases.
Creates a federal framework allowing U.S. district courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) that temporarily prohibit people found to be a significant risk from buying, possessing, or accessing firearms or ammunition. It sets procedures for petitions, hearings (including emergency ex parte orders), firearm removal and return, penalties for violations, interstate recognition, and recordkeeping. Also amends federal firearms prohibitions to bar possession by persons subject to qualifying court orders, authorizes a DOJ grant program to help States, Tribes, and local entities implement ERPO laws (with required training funding), permits ERPO records to be included in national criminal information systems, and requires full faith and credit for State/Tribal ERPOs meeting specified due-process standards. The Act takes effect 180 days after enactment and includes a severability clause.