Sponsor
Scott Perry
Representative · R-PA
Representative · R-PA
The bill aims to strengthen privacy protections for firearm-related PII by conditioning federal grant eligibility on certifications and clarifying definitions, but it also risks cutting off funding and imposing compliance burdens on smaller jurisdictions and grant recipients, which could deter reporting of accidental disclosures.
State, local, tribal governments and private grant applicants will have to certify they did not improperly disclose firearm-related personally identifiable information (PII), creating a strong incentive for those entities to improve data handling and reduce wrongful PII disclosures and privacy breaches.
Conditioning Byrne JAG and similar grants on certifications promotes administrative accountability and better privacy practices without creating a new federal program or requiring new federal spending.
Clearer statutory definitions of 'firearm' and 'personally identifiable information' give law enforcement, courts, and grant administrators more legal clarity, helping consistent application of rules and potentially stronger protections for victims and vulnerable people.
State, local, tribal governments, and nonprofits that inadvertently disclosed firearm-related PII could become ineligible for Byrne JAG and other federal public-safety grants, risking loss of funding for law enforcement and community safety programs.
Smaller jurisdictions, tribes, and nonprofits face added administrative and compliance burdens to investigate, document, and certify the absence of disclosures, diverting limited staff time and increasing costs for local public-safety work.
Tying grant eligibility to strict certification rules could discourage transparent reporting of accidental disclosures (agencies may fear losing funds) and create underreporting of breaches or incidents.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Adds grant-application certifications barring prior-year disclosure of firearm-related personally identifiable information and defines covered terms.
Official title: To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require certifications related to the intentional, accidental, or otherwise knowing disclosure of personally identifiable information of persons involved in transactions related to possession of firearms, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 12, 2026 by Scott Perry · Last progress May 12, 2026
Requires applicants for multiple federal public-safety grant programs to certify they did not, during the prior fiscal year, intentionally, accidentally, or otherwise knowingly disclose personally identifiable information (PII) tied to firearm transactions such as firearm registration, permit applications, or background checks. Adds statutory definitions for "firearm" (by reference) and "personally identifiable information" to clarify what data is covered. The bill applies these certification requirements to Byrne JAG applicants, certain Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act grantees (including COPS grants), and private entities applying for related grants. It conditions grant eligibility on the required certification but does not create new funding or appropriation changes.