‘‘(C) Within 90 days after the hearing, the adminis-
trative law judge shall issue a written decision setting 
forth findings of fact and conclusions of law, and a deci-
sion as to whether to affirm, modify, or reverse the deter-
mination. 
‘‘(D) On request of the licensee, the Attorney General 
shall stay the effective date of any penalty, suspension, 
or revocation until there has been a final, nonreviewable 
judgment with respect to the determination involved. 
‘‘(E) The action of an administrative law judge under 
this subsection shall be considered final agency action for 
all purposes, and may be reviewed only as provided in sub-
section (f). 
‘‘(4) This subsection shall not be interpreted to affect 
the authority of the Attorney General under section 
922(t)(5). 
‘‘(f)(1) Within 60 days after a party receives a notice 
issued under subsection (d)(3) of a decision to deny a li-
cense, or a notice issued under subsection (e)(3)(C) of a 
determination to impose a civil money penalty or to sus-
pend or revoke a license, the party may file a petition with 
the United States district court for the district in which 
the party resides or has a principal place of business for 
a de novo review of the decision or determination. 
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‘‘(2) In a proceeding conducted under this paragraph, 
the court shall, on application of a party, consider any evi-
dence submitted by the parties to the proceeding whether 
or not the evidence was considered at the hearing held 
under subsection (d)(3) or (e)(3). 
‘‘(3) If the court decides that the decision or deter-
mination was not authorized, the court shall order the At-
torney General to take such action as may be necessary 
to comply with the judgment of the court. 
‘‘(4) If criminal proceedings are instituted against a 
licensee alleging any violation of this chapter or of a regu-
lation prescribed under this chapter, and the licensee is 
acquitted of the charges, or the proceedings are termi-
nated, other than upon motion of the Government before 
trial on the charges, the Attorney General shall be abso-
lutely barred from denying a license under this chapter, 
suspending or revoking a license granted under this chap-
ter, or imposing a civil money penalty under subsection 
(e), if the action would be based in whole or in part on 
the facts which form the basis of the criminal charges. 
‘‘(5) The Attorney General may not institute a pro-
ceeding to suspend or revoke a license granted under this 
chapter, or to impose a civil money penalty under sub-
section (e), more than 1 year after the filing of the indict-
ment or information.’’. 
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 923(d) of 
such title is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) If the Attorney General denies an application 
for a license, an administrative law judge of the Depart-
ment of Justice shall, on request by the aggrieved party, 
promptly hold a hearing to review the denial, at a location 
convenient to the aggrieved party. If, after the hearing, 
the administrative law judge decides not to reverse the de-
nial, the administrative law judge shall give notice of the 
final denial decision to the aggrieved party.’’. 
SEC. 3. CONSIDERATION OF FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSE 
APPLICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 923(d) of title 18, United 
States Code, as amended by section 2(b) of this Act, is 
amended by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as para-
graphs (3) and (4) and inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following: 
‘‘(2) The Attorney General shall make a preliminary 
determination as to whether to approve or deny an appli-
cation submitted under subsection (a) or (b). If the pre-
liminary determination is to deny the application, the At-
torney General shall notify the applicant in writing of the 
preliminary determination and the reasons for the prelimi-
nary determination, and shall afford the applicant an op-
portunity to supplement the application with additional in-
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formation and to request a hearing on the application. If 
the applicant, in a timely manner, requests such a hearing, 
the Attorney General shall hold the hearing at a location 
convenient to the applicant, and shall notify the applicant 
in writing of the time and place of the hearing.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 923(f)(1) 
of such title, as amended by section 2(a) of this Act, is 
amended by striking ‘‘(d)(3)’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘(d)(4)’’. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITION OF WILLFULLY. 
Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(36) The term ‘willfully’ means intentionally, pur-
posely, and with the intent to act in violation of a known 
legal duty.’’. 
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF FORMAL INVESTIGATIVE 
GUIDELINES. 
The Attorney General shall establish guidelines for 
how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Ex-
plosives is to conduct investigations of possible violations 
of chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code. 
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SEC. 6. REVIEW BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DE-
PARTMENT OF JUSTICE OF THE GUN SHOW 
ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM; REPORT. 
(a) REVIEW.—The Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Justice shall conduct a review of the operations 
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explo-
sives, for the purpose of assessing the manner in which 
the Bureau conducts the gun show enforcement program 
and blanket residency checks of prospective and actual 
firearms purchasers. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
Department of Justice shall submit to the Committee on 
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a written report 
that contains the findings of the review required by sub-
section (a), and includes such recommendations as may 
be appropriate. 
SEC. 7. LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FIREARMS PURCHASER 
INFORMATION. 
Section 923(g)(1)(D) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended in the last sentence by inserting ‘‘, except that 
information about the conduct of a named individual with 
respect to a firearm or ammunition may not be so made 
available or so provided unless the agency involved has cer-
tified that the agency will not disclose the information to 
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