II

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1656

To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to strengthen Federal

standards for licensing firearms dealers and heighten reporting requirements, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 10 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 2), 1993

Mr. BENNETT (for himself and Mr. SIMON) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to

strengthen Federal standards for licensing firearms dealers and heighten reporting requirements, and for other

purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FIREARMS LICENSURE AND REGISTRATION TO

4 REQUIRE A PHOTOGRAPH AND FINGER5 PRINTS.

6 (a) FIREARMS LICENSURE.—Section 923(a) of title

7 18, United States Code, is amended in the second sentence
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1 by inserting ‘‘and shall include a photograph and finger2 prints of the applicant’’ before the period.

3 (b) REGISTRATION.—Section 5802 of the Internal

4 Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after the

5 first sentence the following: ‘‘An individual required to

6 register under this section shall include a photograph and

7 fingerprints of the individual with the initial application.’’.

8 SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW AS CON9 DITION TO LICENSE.

10 Section 923(d)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is

11 amended—

12 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara13 graph (D);

14 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub15 paragraph (E) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

16 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub17 paragraph:

18 ‘‘(F) the applicant certifies that—

19 ‘‘(i) the business to be conducted

20 under the license is not prohibited by State

21 or local law in the place where the licensed

22 premises is located;

23 ‘‘(ii)(I) within 30 days after the appli24 cation is approved the business will comply

25 with the requirements of State and local
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1 law applicable to the conduct of the busi2 ness; and

3 ‘‘(II) the business will not be con4 ducted under the license until the require5 ments of State and local law applicable to

6 the business have been met; and

7 ‘‘(iii) the applicant has sent or deliv8 ered to the chief law enforcement officer of

9 the locality in which the premises are lo10 cated a form, prescribed by the Secretary,

11 indicating that the applicant intends to

12 apply for a Federal firearms license.’’.

13 SEC. 3. ACTION ON FIREARMS LICENSE APPLICATION.

14 Section 923(d)(2) of title 18, United States Code, is

15 amended by striking ‘‘forty-five-day’’ and inserting ‘‘60-

16 day’’.

17 SEC. 4. INSPECTION OF FIREARMS LICENSEES’ INVENTORY

18 AND RECORDS.

19 Section 923(g)(1)(B)(ii) of title 18, United States

20 Code, is amended to read as follows:

21 ‘‘(ii) for ensuring compliance with the record

22 keeping requirements of this chapter—

23 ‘‘(I) not more than once during any 12-

24 month period; or
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1 ‘‘(II) at any time with respect to records

2 relating to a firearm involved in a criminal in3 vestigation that is traced to the licensee.’’.

4 SEC. 5. REPORTS OF THEFT OR LOSS OF FIREARMS.

5 Section 923(g) of title 18, United States Code, is

6 amended by adding at the end the following new para7 graph:

8 ‘‘(6) Each licensee shall report the theft or loss of

9 a firearm from the licensee’s inventory or collection, within

10 48 hours after the theft or loss is discovered, to the Sec11 retary and to appropriate local authorities.’’.

12 SEC. 6. RESPONSES TO REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.

13 Section 923(g) of title 18, United States Code, as

14 amended by section 5, is amended by adding at the end

15 the following new paragraph:

16 ‘‘(7) Each licensee shall respond immediately to, and

17 in no event later than 24 hours after receipt of, a request

18 by the Secretary for information contained in the records

19 required to be kept by this chapter as may be required

20 for determining the disposition of 1 or more firearms in

21 the course of a bona fide criminal investigation. The re22 quested information shall be provided orally or in writing,

23 as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall imple24 ment a system whereby the licensee can positively identify

25 and establish that an individual requesting information via
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1 telephone is employed by and authorized by the agency

2 to request such information.’’.

3 SEC. 7. NOTIFICATION OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF

4 FIREARMS LICENSEES.

5 Section 923 of title 18, United States Code, is

6 amended by adding at the end the following new sub7 section:

8 ‘‘(l) The Secretary of the Treasury shall notify the

9 chief law enforcement officer in the appropriate State and

10 local jurisdictions of the names and address of all persons

11 in the State to whom a firearms license is issued.’’.

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