Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act

House Votes

This bill would roll back older limits that made it harder to track illegal guns and share useful data. It says these limits (known as the Tiahrt Amendments) keep police and the public from getting information that could help stop gun trafficking and crime. The bill aims to give law enforcement more tools and allow more public access to information about gun traces, arson, and explosives cases.

Key changes if enacted:

• End the rule that background check records must be destroyed within 24 hours, so records can be kept longer to help investigations.
• Allow the government to process public records requests (FOIA) about firearm traces and arson/explosives incidents.
• Let the Justice Department centralize gun dealer records to improve tracing and oversight.
• Allow the government to require gun dealers to do physical inventory checks to spot missing guns.
• Remove limits on how the ATF can use its gun-tracing database information to support investigations and safety research.

Who is affected: police and other law enforcement, gun dealers, researchers, and people who request public records on gun traces.

When: the text provided does not list a start date; these changes would take effect if the bill becomes law.