SenateS. 4776119th Congress
Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act
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[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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