Skip to main content

Politicians make promises on their stump — we watch and hold them accountable.

Help keep the record honest →Create an account
Bills/119th Congress · House

H.R. 6223

Introduced

Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act of 2025

Sponsor
DNellie Pou· New Jersey
Introduced
November 20, 2025
Policy area
Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.November 20, 2025
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6223 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6223

To amend section 923 of title 18, United States Code, to require an 
electronic, searchable database of the importation, production, 
shipment, receipt, sale, or other disposition of firearms.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 20, 2025

Ms. Pou introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend section 923 of title 18, United States Code, to require an 
electronic, searchable database of the importation, production, 
shipment, receipt, sale, or other disposition of firearms.

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 ``Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC, SEARCHABLE DATABASES.

Section 923(g) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
``(8)(A) In this paragraph, the term `foreign intelligence 
information' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the 
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801).
``(B) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, the National Tracing Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shall establish and maintain 
electronic, searchable databases of all records within its possession 
of the importation, production, shipment, receipt, sale, or other 
disposition of firearms required to be submitted to the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by persons licensed under 
this chapter.
``(C) Each licensee under this chapter may provide the National 
Tracing Center with electronic access, consistent with the requirements 
of this paragraph, to all records within the licensee's possession that 
are required to be kept under this chapter.
``(D) A licensee may voluntarily relinquish possession of any non-
electronic record required to be kept under this chapter to the Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives if--
``(i) 10 years have elapsed from the date of the firearm 
transaction; or
``(ii) in the case of paper acquisition and disposition 
books, 10 years have elapsed without any open disposition 
entries and with no dispositions recorded in the record.
``(E) The National Tracing Center--
``(i) shall have remote access to and may query, search, or 
otherwise access the electronic databases described in this 
paragraph; and
``(ii) may, with the permission of a State, or political 
subdivision of a State, have remote access to, and may query, 
search, or otherwise access the databases of the firearms 
registration system or pawnbroker records system of the State 
or political subdivision.
``(F) The National Tracing Center may query, search, or otherwise 
access the electronic databases described in this paragraph for only 
the following purposes:
``(i) To obtain information related to a bona fide law 
enforcement investigation by a Federal, State, local, tribal, 
or foreign law enforcement agency.
``(ii) To obtain information that is--
``(I) foreign intelligence information; or
``(II) necessary to understand, or assess the 
importance of, foreign intelligence information.
``(iii) To obtain information necessary during a compliance 
inspection of an active licensee who has submitted non-
electronic records in accordance with subparagraph (D).
``(G) The databases established under this paragraph--
``(i) shall be electronically searchable by date of 
acquisition or disposition, license number, and the information 
identified on each firearm or other firearm descriptor, 
including the manufacturer, importer, model, serial number, 
type, and caliber or gauge;
``(ii) shall not be electronically searchable by the 
personally identifiable information of any individual; and
``(iii) shall include in search results the entire contents 
of the relevant records kept by the licensee.
``(H) This paragraph shall take effect notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, including any temporary or permanent restrictions 
placed on funds made available to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
Firearms and Explosives, or the Department of Justice.
``(I) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, and every 2 years thereafter, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall--
``(i) carry out an audit on compliance by the National 
Tracing Center and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 
Explosives with the requirements of this paragraph; and
``(ii) submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives a report on the audit carried out under clause 
(i).''.
<all>

Plain-language analysis

Not yet analyzed.

A plain-language breakdown — including any hidden or off-intent provisions and whether the bill was fast-tracked — is generated separately and reviewed before publishing. It will appear here once ready. Until then, the verbatim text above and the official source are the record.

StumpWatch is live, and the record is still growing. Many promises and positions aren’t tracked yet, and some features are still in beta. Add a sourced promise and help keep the record honest.

Help keep the record honest →