Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act

To repeal certain impediments to the administration of the firearms laws. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act 2. Findings Congress finds as follows: (1) The Tiahrt Amendments prevent the collection of valuable information, and the establishment of effective policies to prevent illegal guns from being used in crimes. (2) The Tiahrt Amendments impede enforcement of the gun laws by requiring most background check records to be destroyed within 24 hours, and by barring the Federal Government from requiring annual inventory audits by owners of gun shops. (3) A 2012 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the Tiahrt Amendments dramatically increase gun trafficking to the criminal market. (4) A 2016 study from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health found that in 2008, 79 percent of all guns recovered by police from crime scenes belonged to someone other than the perpetrator—30 percent had been stolen. (5) A 2020 analysis from the RAND corporation concluded that the Tiahrt Amendments limit researchers’ access to data that provide important insights, such as— (A) how guns flow from States with less restrictive gun laws to States with more restrictive gun laws; (B) how prohibited purchasers obtain their firearms; (C) the characteristics of straw purchases; and (D) whether more restrictive gun laws create a shortage of firearms for prohibited purchases. (6) Every year, more than 165,000 people are shot in the United States. (7) 2020 was one of the deadliest years on record for the United States, with an estimated 21,000 people killed in firearm homicides or non-suicide related shootings, which is a 33-percent increase over 2019. (8) In 2020, 62 percent of firearm homicide victims were Black and 15 percent of firearm homicide victims were Hispanic. (9) In 2020, the National Tracing Center at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives processed 490,800 trace requests on firearms from Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. (10) Having effective policies to prevent illegal gun trafficking makes our families and communities safer. (11) Repealing the Tiahrt Amendments would support law enforcement efforts and give the public vital information needed to craft the most effective policies against illegal guns. 3. Repeal of certain limitations on the use of database information of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (a) The matter under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 112–55 (b) The sixth proviso under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 111–117 beginning in fiscal year 2010 and thereafter in fiscal year 2010 (c) The sixth proviso under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 111–8 beginning in fiscal year 2009 and thereafter in fiscal year 2009 (d) The sixth proviso under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 110–161 beginning in fiscal year 2008 and thereafter in fiscal year 2008 (e) The sixth proviso under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 109–108 with respect to any fiscal year (f) The sixth proviso under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 108–447 with respect to any fiscal year 4. Elimination of prohibition on processing of Freedom of Information Act requests about arson or explosives incidents or firearm traces Section 644 of division J of the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 ( 5 U.S.C. 552 Public Law 108–7 5. Repeal of limitations on imposition of requirement that firearms dealers conduct physical check of firearms inventory The fifth proviso under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 113–6 and any fiscal year thereafter 6. Elimination of prohibition on consolidation or centralization in the Department of Justice of firearms acquisition and disposition records maintained by Federal firearms licensees The matter under the heading Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Expenses 18 U.S.C. 923 Public Law 112–55 (1) by striking the first proviso; and (2) in the second proviso, by striking further 7. Repeal of requirement to destroy instant criminal background check records within 24 hours Section 511 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 ( 34 U.S.C. 40901 Public Law 112–55 (1) by striking — (1) (2) by striking the semicolon and all that follows and inserting a period.

Summary: Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act This bill amends several appropriations laws to remove limitations on the authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct activities related to the administration of federal firearms laws. Specifically, the bill removes provisions that limit the use of firearms tracing data, limit the disclosure of data under the Freedom of Information Act, prohibit imposing a requirement that gun dealers conduct a physical inventory, prohibit consolidating or centralizing records maintained by federal firearm licensees (e.g., gun dealers), and require national instant criminal background check records to be destroyed within 24 hours.