Gun Trafficker Detection Act

This bill would require most gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours after they notice it is missing. You could report it through a federal web portal or to your local police; if you use the portal, the Justice Department must alert your local police within 72 hours. Knowingly making a false report would be a crime. Civil fines could be up to $1,000 for a first offense and up to $5,000 for later offenses. After two fines, you could not receive a firearm for 1 year; after three fines, the ban would last 5 years. Background checks would be updated to include these temporary bans, and gun sellers would have to tell buyers about the penalties for not reporting. The law would start 90 days after it becomes law, and the web portal must be created within 180 days.

Some federal public safety grants to local governments would set aside at least 5% to improve how police manage and collect data on lost or stolen gun reports, unless their systems already send every report to the national crime database.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Most gun owners, local police, and gun sellers.
• What changes: 48-hour reporting rule; federal reporting portal; civil fines for not reporting; criminal penalty for false reports; temporary bans on receiving firearms after multiple violations; background checks updated; seller notice to buyers; improved local data systems.
• When: Law takes effect 90 days after enactment; portal live within 180 days.