Gillibrand Joins Bicameral Push For Gun Records Restoration, Preservation Act To Strengthen Efforts To Prevent Gun Violence

by Contributor | April 2, 2021 2:33 pm

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined Senate and House Democrats to call for the Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act.

The legislation would address the rise in gun violence across the country, and strengthen efforts to prevent it, by improving law enforcement’s capacity to solve and prosecute gun crimes, stop illegal gun trafficking, and hold negligent gun dealers and owners accountable.

Additionally, the legislation repeals the Tiahrt Amendments, which prevent gun data collection and tracking, and requires federal agencies to research the detrimental impact of gun violence on communities.

“With dozens of mass shootings already this year, we are once again reminded how desperately we need comprehensive gun reform as we mourn these tragedies,” Gillibrand said. “The Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act would repeal the harmful Tiahrt Amendments and finally allow law enforcement agencies to conduct important research on gun violence and its devastating effects on our communities. It is long past time that Congress stand up to the NRA and congressional Republicans, who have fought to obscure the full impact of gun violence on our communities. We must pass this legislation and other critical reforms to end the scourge of gun violence in our country and ensure that no one has to walk into a grocery store, movie theater, or elementary school fearing for their life.”

Specifically, the Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act would:

• Enhance the ability of law enforcement to investigate and solve gun crimes, regulate gun trafficking and gun dealers, and research gun violence and its impact on communities
• Require the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to collect, preserve and disclose gun records and gun tracing data
• Repeal the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) yearly funding bill’s Tiahrt Amendments, which has limited the ability of the FBI and ATF in gun data collection and tracking.

The legislation would repeal the following provisions:

• The FBI must destroy all purchaser records within 24 hours
• The ATF is prohibited from requiring gun dealers to submit their inventories to law enforcement
• The ATF cannot release firearm data to cities, states, researchers, litigants, and members of the public

Full text of the bill can be found here[1].

*Press release from Kirsten Gillibrand

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/politics/gillibrand/gillibrand-joins-bicameral-push-for-gun-records-restoration-preservation-act-to-strengthen-efforts-to-prevent-gun-violence/

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