S. 4776

112 S4776 IS: Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act
 U.S. Senate
 2026-06-11
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 4776  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act  .
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.
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 .
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.
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 .
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  .
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.