Title: To direct the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report the number of background checks conducted by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System during the month of March 2019 and during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
This bill requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report comparative data on background checks conducted by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System during the public health emergency declared on January 31, 2020, relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and background checks conducted during the equivalent period of 2019.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6453 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6453

To direct the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report 
   the number of background checks conducted by the National Instant 
  Criminal Background Check System during the month of March 2019 and 
  during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2020

 Mr. Quigley (for himself, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Beyer, Mrs. 
   Hayes, Ms. Norton, Ms. Schakowsky, and Mr. Engel) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report 
   the number of background checks conducted by the National Instant 
  Criminal Background Check System during the month of March 2019 and 
  during the COVID-19 public health emergency, 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. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) COVID-19 infections have grown rapidly throughout the 
        United States creating a widespread outbreak that has been 
        deemed a public health emergency by the World Health 
        Organization.
            (2) The COVID-19 public health emergency has led to an 
        increase in firearm sales, which poses a serious health and 
        security risk to the American public.
            (3) A firearm may be sold before a background check is 
        completed.
            (4) The increased public demand to purchase a firearm 
        strains the resources of the National Instant Criminal 
        Background Check System (``NICS'').
            (5) A person who is prohibited by Federal law from 
        possessing a firearm, such as a person who has been convicted 
        of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, has an increased 
        chance of acquiring a firearm due to this increased public 
        demand to purchase a firearm.
            (6) This strain on resources is affecting the ability of 
        the NICS to complete background checks within 3-business-days, 
        allowing for federally licensed firearm dealers to complete a 
        firearm sale without a completed background check, which is 
        known as a ``default proceed sale''.
            (7) Such firearm sales conducted in the absence of a 
        completed background check are known as ``default proceeds'' 
        and may have devastating consequences by making it easier for a 
        person who is prohibited by Federal law from possessing 
        firearms to acquire such firearms.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON THE NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK 
              SYSTEM.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in consultation 
with the Director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and 
Explosives, shall submit to Congress a report on the operation of the 
National Instant Criminal Background Check System beginning on January 
31, 2020 (the date of the public health emergency declared by the 
Secretary pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act with 
respect to COVID-19), through the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and the equivalent period in 2019, to include the following:
            (1) The total number of background checks initiated.
            (2) The total number of background checks completed.
            (3) The total number of background checks resulting in 
        approval.
            (4) The total number of background checks that were 
        delayed.
            (5) The number of background checks resulting in--
                    (A) a denial before the 3-business-day review 
                period is completed; and
                    (B) delayed denials.
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