As discussed earlier, the system will be used to prevent convicted felons and other ineligible persons from purchasing guns. We believe that disclosure of NICS information to law enforcement agencies to further their criminal investigations should be held to be compatible with the law enforcement purpose for which the information was collected. Accordingly, consent from the individual would be required to access NICS for purposes of employment and licensing inquiries. 107 Stat. at 1542. The clear intent of Congress in adopting this provision was to prohibit the establishment of a firearm registry.
Titles have a communicative function. . . .
Since the title of an act is essentially a part of the act and is itself a legislative expression of the general scope of the bill, it is proper to consider it in arriving at the intent of the legislature. Here, the title explicitly limits the scope of the provision to the prohibition of the establishment of a firearm registry. 2A Sutherland at 47.17. Finally, the legislative history supports the conclusion we have reached based on the text of the statute. On request of the Attorney General, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the system.