I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1698 
To provide accountability for unlawful disclosures of firearm trace data in 
the Firearms Trace System database, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2025 
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. BABIN, Mr. 
SCHMIDT, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. GILL of Texas, Mr. 
RUTHERFORD, Mr. HARRIS of Maryland, and Mr. MESSMER) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide accountability for unlawful disclosures of firearm 
trace data in the Firearms Trace System database, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Law Enforcement Pro-
tection and Privacy Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO FOIA. 
Section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period and 
inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(10) contents of the Firearm Trace System 
database maintained by the National Trace Center 
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and 
Explosives, or any information required to be kept 
by licensees pursuant to section 923(g) of title 18 or 
reported pursuant to paragraph (3) or (7) of such 
section.’’. 
SEC. 3. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURES BY AGENCIES NOT 
PART OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
(a) FINES FOR DISCLOSURES CONTRARY TO FED-
ERAL LAW.—The Attorney General shall fine a State, 
local, tribal, or foreign entity the following amount if the 
Attorney General determines that the entity made a dis-
closure of protected information in violation of the covered 
disclosure statute or any other applicable Federal law 
after the date of the enactment of this Act: 
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(1) $10,000, for the first violation by the entity 
or a violation by the entity occurring more than 3 
years after the most recent violation by the entity. 
(2) $25,000, for any other violation by the enti-
ty. 
(b) LOSS OF ACCESS FOR 1 YEAR AFTER MULTIPLE 
VIOLATIONS.—The Attorney General may not disclose 
protected information to an entity fined under subsection 
(a)(2), for 1 year after the date of the imposition of the 
fine. 
(c) ENFORCEMENT OF FINE BY CIVIL ACTION.—The 
Attorney General may bring an action in a court of com-
petent jurisdiction to enforce or collect payment of a fine 
imposed under subsection (a). 
(d) ASSESSMENT
OF FINES.—In assessing fines 
under this section, the Attorney General shall impose a 
fine for each disclosure of each individual piece of pro-
tected information in violation of the covered disclosure 
statute. 
SEC. 4. PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION FOR UNAUTHORIZED 
DISCLOSURES 
OF 
PROTECTED 
INFORMA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any entity with a license under 
section 923 of title 18, United States Code, adversely af-
fected or aggrieved by a disclosure of protected informa-
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tion in violation of the covered disclosure statute or any 
other applicable Federal law by a Federal agency or a 
local, tribal, or foreign entity may bring an action in a 
court of competent jurisdiction against the agency or enti-
ty for remedies available under this section. 
(b) WAIVER AND ABROGATION OF SOVEREIGN IMMU-
NITY.—Sovereign immunity shall not be a defense in an 
action under this section. 
(c) REMEDIES.—An entity that prevails on a violation 
alleged in a claim under this section shall be entitled to— 
(1) the greater of— 
(A) triple the amount of damages suffered 
by the entity, including damages resulting from 
loss of business income or harm to the reputa-
tion of the entity; or 
(B) $25,000, for each disclosure of each 
individual piece of protected information in vio-
lation of the covered disclosure statute; 
(2) such punitive damages as the court may 
allow; and 
(3) a reasonable attorney’s fee and court costs. 
SEC. 5. OTHER REMEDIES; SEVERABILITY. 
(a) OTHER REMEDIES.—This Act shall not be inter-
preted to preclude any other remedy available under law. 
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(b) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this Act, an 
amendment made by this Act, or the application of such 
a provision or amendment to any person or circumstance 
is held by a court to be invalid or unconstitutional, no 
other such provision, amendment, or application shall be 
affected thereby. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COVERED
DISCLOSURE
STATUTE.—The 
term ‘‘covered disclosure statute’’ means the 6th 
proviso under the heading ‘‘Bureau of Alcohol, To-
bacco, Firearms and Explosives—Salaries and Ex-
penses’’ in the Department of Justice Appropria-
tions Act, 2012 (title II of division B of the Consoli-
dated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 
2012; 18 U.S.C. 923 note), or successor law. 
(2) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
agency’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
2671 of title 28, United States Code. 
(3) LOCAL ENTITY.—The term ‘‘local entity’’ 
means a city, county, municipal corporation, or other 
unit of government that is a political subdivision, 
and not an arm, of a State. 
(4) 
PROTECTED
INFORMATION.—The 
term 
‘‘protected information’’ means the following: 
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