S3085Referred to Committee

Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act of 2025

Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both

Signed into Law

119th

Congress

2025-10-30

Introduced

Cosponsors

ⓘ

Type

Sponsor

James E. Risch

Republican · ID · Senator

Votes with party: 76.1% (865 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/R000584

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (14)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

2025-10-30

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Previously

Senate Committee on the JudiciaryReferred To · 2025-10-30

Plain-English Summary

Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act of 2025 This bill requires various federal agencies to continue certain operations, functions, and services related to firearms during a government shutdown. The bill applies to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, including the processing of background checks in support of the operations of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the ATF's Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services; the activities of the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses; and the activities of the Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses. Under the bill, (1) these operations, functions, and services are deemed to relate to an emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property; and (2) employees carrying out the operations, functions, and services are deemed to be excepted employees. (Under an exception in the Antideficiency Act, an employee whose duties involve the safety of human life or the protection of property may be required to work during a government shutdown. Employees who are required to work during a government shutdown because they fall under this or other exceptions are known as excepted employees.)

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Affected Industries

Industries and interest groups with a stake in how this bill is resolved. Compare with each member's outside-money backers on their finance page.

Gun Rights

Why this matters: Look up any member who voted on this bill and check their finance page — do the industries listed above match the groups funding their campaigns? That's the kind of connection this tool is built to help you find.

Subjects

Crime and Law Enforcement

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Open text view Read on Congress.gov

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