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PartialGuns & the Second Amendment

Biden will enact universal background check legislation, requiring a background check for all gun sales with very limited exceptions, such as gifts between close family members.

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PartialFact-checker reviewConfidence: 80%

Universal background-check legislation was not enacted: the House passed H.R. 8, requiring a background check for every firearm sale, on March 11, 2021, but the Senate never voted on it. Biden did sign the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (June 25, 2022), which added enhanced background checks for buyers under 21 and broadened the statutory definition of a firearms dealer, and his ATF's April 2024 rule implemented that expansion so more sellers must be licensed and run checks. Background-check coverage was meaningfully expanded by enacted law and rule, but checks on all gun sales were never achieved, so the promise was partly kept.

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