To ensure that the background check system used for firearms purchases denies a firearm to a person prohibited from possessing a firearm by a lawful court order governing the pretrial release of the person.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 20, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act would close a gap in federal gun background check law by prohibiting firearms sales to people who are subject to court orders restricting gun possession while awaiting trial. Currently, the background check system does not flag individuals with pretrial release orders that ban firearm possession, meaning some people prohibited by judges from owning guns during this period can still legally purchase them. The bill amends federal firearms laws to add pretrial release orders as a disqualifying factor that licensed gun dealers must check against during background checks. The legislation also authorizes $25 million per year from 2024 through 2028 in grants to states and tribal governments to help them report pretrial release orders to the national background check database. This funding is intended to ensure courts' gun restrictions actually reach the people conducting background checks.
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