State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act
Bill: H.R.8760 | Sponsor: Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. (D-NY)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to states and tribal governments for the development, implementation, improvement, or evaluation of firearms dealer licensing programs.

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
 provide for grants for State firearms dealer licensing programs, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``State Firearms Dealer Licensing 
Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE FIREARMS DEALER LICENSING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Grant Program Authorized.--Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

        ``PART PP--STATE FIREARMS DEALER LICENSING GRANT PROGRAM

``SEC. 3061. GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--From the amounts appropriated to carry 
out this part, and not later than 180 days after such amounts are 
appropriated, the Attorney General may award annual grants, on a 
competitive basis, to eligible applicants for the development, 
implementation, improvement, or evaluation of firearms dealer licensing 
programs.
    ``(b) Application.--An eligible applicant desiring a grant under 
this part shall submit to the Attorney General an application at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney 
General may require, including--
            ``(1) a description of the law that the applicant has 
        enacted to require a license for any firearms dealer, including 
        a description of any exemptions to such law;
            ``(2) a description of how the applicant will use the grant 
        to develop, implement, improve, or evaluate the firearms dealer 
        licensing program of the applicant; and
            ``(3) a description of the inspection bodies and procedures 
        of the applicant used to inspect firearms dealers.
    ``(c) Subawards.--A State that receives a grant under this part may 
make a subaward to a unit of local government authorized to oversee and 
enforce the development, implementation, improvement, or evaluation of 
the firearms dealer licensing program for which the grant under this 
part will be used.
    ``(d) Reporting Requirement.--
            ``(1) Annual reports by recipients.--An eligible applicant 
        that receives a grant under this part shall provide an annual 
        report to the Attorney General with the following information:
                    ``(A) The number of inspections conducted in the 
                jurisdiction of the eligible applicant of persons 
                licensed as a firearms dealer by the eligible applicant 
                during the previous year.
                    ``(B) The number of violations by persons licensed 
                as a firearms dealer by the eligible applicant that 
                were cited during the previous year, disaggregated by 
                violation type.
                    ``(C) The total number of persons licensed as a 
                firearms dealer by the eligible applicant as of the end 
                of the previous year.
                    ``(D) The number of licenses to engage in business 
                as a firearms dealer in the jurisdiction of the 
                eligible applicant that, during the previous year, 
                were--
                            ``(i) issued;
                            ``(ii) renewed;
                            ``(iii) suspended; or
                            ``(iv) revoked.
            ``(2) To congress.--Not later than 13 months after the 
        first grants are awarded under this part, and every year 
        thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress and 
        make available publicly through print and electronic means a 
        report, which shall include the following information:
                    ``(A) A list of eligible applicants who received 
                funds under a grant under this part during the previous 
                fiscal year, including the funds awarded, cumulatively 
                and disaggregated by grantee.
                    ``(B) The information gathered pursuant to 
                paragraph (1), disaggregated by grantee.
                    ``(C) A list of eligible applicants who were denied 
                grants under this part, and the basis for such denials.
    ``(e) Limitation on Grant Amount.--A grant under this part may not 
be in an amount that is more than $2,500,000 per fiscal year.

``SEC. 3062. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Eligible applicant.--The term `eligible applicant' 
        means a State or Indian tribal government that has in effect a 
        law that, at a minimum, requires the following:
                    ``(A) To engage in business as a firearms dealer in 
                the area subject to the jurisdiction of the State or 
                Indian tribal government, a person shall be a licensed 
                dealer and be licensed as a firearms dealer under such 
                law.
                    ``(B) A person shall only be licensed as a firearms 
                dealer under such law upon successful completion of the 
                application process set by such law.
                    ``(C) A license to engage in business as a firearms 
                dealer shall be valid for not more than 3 years.
                    ``(D) A person licensed as a firearms dealer shall 
                submit to inspections under the law of the State or 
                Indian tribal government.
                    ``(E) Noncompliance of a person licensed as a 
                firearms dealer with a requirement for firearms dealers 
                under the law of the State or Indian tribal government 
                may result in--
                            ``(i) the suspension or revocation of the 
                        license; and
                            ``(ii) the imposition of civil penalties or 
                        criminal charges.
            ``(2) Licensed dealer.--The term `licensed dealer' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 921(a) of title 18, United 
        States Code.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1001(a) of title I of 
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10261(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(29) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
        may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out part PP.''.
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