Repeal Restrictions on Gun Trace Data
What does it solve?
Since 2003, the Tiahrt Amendments have restricted law enforcement's ability to investigate and prosecute gun crimes. This data-blocking protects corrupt gun dealers and hinders law enforcement.
How it works
Repealing the Tiahrt Amendments would aid the enforcement of gun laws.
Crime gun tracing is a critical data source—it can help solve gun crimes, and it can also help identify where the guns used in crimes are originating from. But since 2003, NRA-drafted annual riders attached to U.S. Department of Justice appropriation bills—called the Tiahrt Amendments—have blocked the ATF from sharing this important data. This data-blocking serves to protect corrupt dealers and hinder law enforcement.
The Tiahrt Amendments restrict information investigators can obtain on where a gun was purchased and to whom it was sold. The amendments require the FBI to destroy records of approved background checks within 24 hours. They also prevent local governments and police from accessing federal gun trace data from areas beyond their immediate geographic area. This prevents the investigation of gun trafficking. The Amendments prohibit cities from using gun trace data in civil enforcement actions, such as gun dealers license revocations, and prevents the ATF from requiring firearms dealers to keep and regularly submit firearm inventories. These inventories are an administrative practice that could reduce the number of firearms reported lost or stolen by dealers every year.
By the numbers
140k
From 2012-2019, nearly 140,000 firearms have been reported lost or stolen to the ATF by firearms dealers.
12k