S. 4776

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4776 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4776

To repeal certain impediments to the administration of the firearms 
laws.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 11, 2026

Mr. Kim (for himself, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Reed, Ms. 
Hirono, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Booker, Mr. Markey, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. 
Gillibrand, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the 
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To repeal certain impediments to the administration of the firearms 
laws.

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 ``Gun Records Restoration and 
Preservation Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Tiahrt Amendments prevent the collection of 
valuable information, and the establishment of effective 
policies to prevent illegal guns from being used in crimes.
(2) The Tiahrt Amendments impede enforcement of the gun 
laws by requiring most background check records to be destroyed 
within 24 hours, and by barring the Federal Government from 
requiring annual inventory audits by owners of gun shops.
(3) A 2012 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg 
School of Public Health found that the Tiahrt Amendments 
dramatically increase gun trafficking to the criminal market.
(4) A 2016 study from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate 
School of Public Health found that in 2008, 79 percent of all 
guns recovered by police from crime scenes belonged to someone 
other than the perpetrator and 30 percent had been stolen.
(5) A 2020 analysis from the RAND corporation concluded 
that the Tiahrt Amendments limit researchers' access to data 
that provide important insights, such as--
(A) how guns flow from States with less restrictive 
gun laws to States with more restrictive gun laws;
(B) how prohibited purchasers obtain their 
firearms;
(C) the characteristics of straw purchases; and
(D) whether more restrictive gun laws create a 
shortage of firearms for prohibited purchases.
(6) Every year, more than 141,000 people are shot in the 
United States.
(7) 2021 was one of the deadliest years on record for the 
United States, with an estimated 21,000 people killed in 
firearm homicides or non-suicide related shootings, which is an 
8 percent increase over 2020.
(8) In 2024, 57 percent of firearm homicide victims were 
Black and 18 percent of firearm homicide victims were Hispanic.
(9) In 2023, the National Tracing Center at the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives processed 500,000 
trace requests on firearms from Federal, State, and local law 
enforcement agencies.
(10) Having effective policies to prevent illegal gun 
trafficking makes our families and communities safer.
(11) Repealing the Tiahrt Amendments would support law 
enforcement efforts and give the public vital information 
needed to craft the most effective policies against illegal 
guns.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF DATABASE 
INFORMATION OF THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS 
AND EXPLOSIVES.

(a) Fiscal Year 2012.--The matter under the heading ``salaries and 
expenses'' under the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 
Explosives'' in title II of division B of the Consolidated and Further 
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 
112-55; 125 Stat. 609) is amended by striking the sixth proviso.
(b) Fiscal Year 2010.--The sixth proviso under the heading 
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in title II of division B of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 
111-117; 123 Stat. 3128) is amended by striking ``beginning in fiscal 
year 2010 and thereafter'' and inserting ``in fiscal year 2010''.
(c) Fiscal Year 2009.--The sixth proviso under the heading 
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in title II of division B of the 
Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 111-8; 
123 Stat. 575) is amended by striking ``beginning in fiscal year 2009 
and thereafter'' and inserting ``in fiscal year 2009''.
(d) Fiscal Year 2008.--The sixth proviso under the heading 
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in title II of division B of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 
110-161; 121 Stat. 1903) is amended by striking ``beginning in fiscal 
year 2008 and thereafter'' and inserting ``in fiscal year 2008''.
(e) Fiscal Year 2006.--The sixth proviso under the heading 
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in title I of the Science, State, 
Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (18 
U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 109-108; 119 Stat. 2295) is amended by 
striking ``under this or any other Act with respect to any fiscal 
year'' and inserting ``under this Act''.
(f) Fiscal Year 2005.--The sixth proviso under the heading 
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in title I of division B of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 
108-447; 118 Stat. 2859) is amended by striking ``under this or any 
other Act with respect to any fiscal year'' and inserting ``under this 
Act''.

SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF PROHIBITION ON PROCESSING OF FREEDOM OF 
INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS ABOUT ARSON OR EXPLOSIVES 
INCIDENTS OR FIREARM TRACES.

Section 644 of division J of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Resolution, 2003 (5 U.S.C. 552 note; Public Law 108-7; 117 Stat. 473) 
is repealed.

SEC. 5. REPEAL OF LIMITATIONS ON IMPOSITION OF REQUIREMENT THAT 
FIREARMS DEALERS CONDUCT PHYSICAL CHECK OF FIREARMS 
INVENTORY.

The fifth proviso under the heading ``salaries and expenses'' under 
the heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in 
title II of division B of the Consolidated and Further Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2013 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 113-6; 127 
Stat. 248) is amended by striking ``and any fiscal year thereafter''.

SEC. 6. ELIMINATION OF PROHIBITION ON CONSOLIDATION OR CENTRALIZATION 
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OF FIREARMS ACQUISITION AND 
DISPOSITION RECORDS MAINTAINED BY FEDERAL FIREARMS 
LICENSEES.

The matter under the heading ``salaries and expenses'' under the 
heading ``Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives'' in 
title II of division B of the Consolidated and Further Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2012 (18 U.S.C. 923 note; Public Law 112-55; 125 
Stat. 609) is amended--
(1) by striking the first proviso; and
(2) in the second proviso, by striking ``further''.

SEC. 7. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT TO DESTROY INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND 
CHECK RECORDS WITHIN 24 HOURS.

Section 511 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2012 (34 U.S.C. 40901 note; Public Law 112-55; 125 
Stat. 632) is amended--
(1) by striking ``--'' and all that follows through 
``(1)''; and
(2) by striking the semicolon and all that follows and 
inserting a period.
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