I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1612 
To require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring 
at gun shows. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 17, 2017 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. 
BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 
CONYERS, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. MICHAEL 
F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KEATING, 
Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
MEEKS, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. O’ROURKE, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. 
POCAN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. SERRANO, 
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, and Mrs. LOWEY) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary 
A BILL 
To require criminal background checks on all firearms 
transactions occurring at gun shows. 
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 ‘‘Gun Show Loophole 
Closing Act of 2017’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:53 Mar 22, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1612.IH
H1612
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. GUN SHOW BACKGROUND CHECK. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— 
(1) approximately 5,200 traditional gun shows 
are held annually across the United States, attract-
ing thousands of attendees per show and hundreds 
of Federal firearms licensees and unlicensed fire-
arms sellers; and 
(2) gun shows at which firearms are exhibited 
or offered for sale or exchange provide a convenient 
and centralized commercial location where criminals 
and other prohibited persons obtain firearms without 
background checks and without records that enable 
firearm tracing. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 921(a) of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(36) GUN SHOW.—The term ‘gun show’— 
‘‘(A) means any event at which 50 or more fire-
arms are offered or exhibited for sale, exchange, or 
transfer, if one or more of the firearms has been 
shipped or transported in, or otherwise affects, inter-
state or foreign commerce; 
‘‘(B) does not include an offer or exhibit of fire-
arms for sale, exchange, or transfer by an individual 
from the personal collection of that individual, at the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:53 Mar 22, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1612.IH
H1612
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
private residence of that individual, if the individual 
is not required to be licensed under section 923; and 
‘‘(C) does not include an offer or exhibit of fire-
arms for sale, exchange, or transfer at events— 
‘‘(i) where not more than 100 firearms are 
offered or exhibited for sale, exchange or trans-
fer; 
‘‘(ii) that are conducted by private, not-for- 
profit organizations whose primary purpose is 
owning and maintaining real property for the 
purpose of hunting activities; and 
‘‘(iii) that are attended only by permanent 
or annual dues-paying members of the organi-
zations, and the members of the immediate 
families of the dues-paying members. 
‘‘(37) GUN SHOW VENDOR.—The term ‘gun show 
vendor’ means a person who is not licensed under section 
923 and who exhibits, sells, offers for sale, transfers, or 
exchanges a firearm at a gun show, regardless of whether 
or not the person arranges with the gun show operator 
for a fixed location from which to exhibit, sell, offer for 
sale, transfer, or exchange the firearm.’’. 
(c) REGULATION OF FIREARMS TRANSFERS AT GUN 
SHOWS.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:53 Mar 22, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1612.IH
H1612
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 44 of such title is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 932. Regulation of firearms transfers at gun shows 
‘‘(a) REGISTRATION OF GUN SHOW OPERATORS.— 
It shall be unlawful for a person to operate a gun show, 
unless— 
‘‘(1) the person has attained 21 years of age; 
‘‘(2) the person (and, if the person is a corpora-
tion, partnership, or association, each individual pos-
sessing, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or 
cause the direction of the management and policies 
of the corporation, partnership, or association) is not 
prohibited by subsection (g) or (n) of section 922 
from transporting, shipping, or receiving firearms or 
ammunition in interstate or foreign commerce; 
‘‘(3) the person has not willfully violated any 
provision of this chapter or regulation issued under 
this chapter; 
‘‘(4) the person has registered with the Attor-
ney General as a gun show operator, in accordance 
with regulations promulgated by the Attorney Gen-
eral, and as part of the registration— 
‘‘(A) has provided the Attorney General 
with a photograph and the fingerprints of the 
person; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:53 Mar 22, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1612.IH
H1612
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS