Sponsors (7)
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Creates uniform federal definitions for “State of residence” and “resident” used in firearms laws and replaces older residency language in the criminal code. It also changes what information must be sent to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) during a firearm transfer. A photo of the buyer must be provided with the background check, and the buyer must give a residence address. If the buyer has no physical residence, a private mailbox or P.O. Box is allowed. These changes aim to improve identity verification while accommodating people without a fixed address.
Adds a new definition of “State of residence” to section 921(a) of title 18 that includes three ways to establish a State of residence: (i) the State in which an individual resides; (ii) for an individual or the spouse of an individual who is an active duty member of the Armed Forces, either the State of the member’s permanent duty station or the State where the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes daily to the permanent duty station; or (iii) for an individual who does not have a physical residence in any State, the State in which the individual maintains a private mailbox or post office box.
Defines how to determine when an individual “resides” in a State: an individual resides in a State if present there with the intention of making a home in that State; and specifies that a person who maintains a home in more than one State is a resident of each such State during the time the person is present in that State.
Adds a new definition of the term “resident” with respect to a State to mean an individual who satisfies clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of paragraph 38(A) with respect to that State.
Strikes subsection (b) of section 921 of title 18.
Amends section 922(t)(1)(D) of title 18 to require that the information provided for a transferee include a photograph of the transferee.
Licensed firearm dealers would change intake practices to collect and submit a photo and the required address or mailbox information to NICS. Buyers would need to provide a photograph and a residence address, or a private mailbox/P.O. Box if they have no physical residence. Federal background check operations (NICS) would receive more consistent identity data, potentially reducing errors or impersonation.
Uniform definitions of “State of residence” and “resident” could clarify eligibility and interstate transfer rules across federal firearms statutes. This may reduce confusion for buyers who move frequently or lack a fixed address, while increasing documentation expectations at the point of sale.
Amends 18 U.S.C. 921 by adding new paragraphs defining 'State of residence' and 'resident', and by striking subsection (b).
Amends 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(1)(D) to specify required transferee identification information submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced March 11, 2025 by Dustin Johnson · Last progress March 11, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House