State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act

Bill: 118-hr-1595
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
Introduced: 2023-03-14
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Firearms and explosives

Government information and archives

Intergovernmental relations

Licensing and registrations

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2023-03-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-03-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act</strong></p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1595 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 14, 2023 Mr. Morelle (for himself, Mr. Auchincloss , Mr. Blumenauer , Ms. Bonamici , Ms. Brown , Mr. Casten , Mr. Davis of Illinois , Mr. DeSaulnier , Mr. Evans , Mr. Higgins of New York , Ms. Jacobs , Ms. Kelly of Illinois , Ms. Lee of California , Ms. Lofgren , Ms. Meng , Ms. Norton , Mr. Payne , Mr. Quigley , Ms. Sánchez , Ms. Scanlon , Ms. Schakowsky , Mr. David Scott of Georgia , Ms. Strickland , Ms. Titus , Ms. Tlaib , and Mrs. Watson Coleman ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act . 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: PP State Firearms Dealer Licensing Grant Program 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. 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. .