League Supports Legislation to Strengthen Reporting to National Background Check Database 

Following an unprecedented series of mass shootings throughout the country, a bipartisan group of Senators has come together to strengthen existing federal law. On November 16, 2017, Senators Chris Murphy (D CT) and John Cornyn (R TX) introduced the Fix NICS Act, legislation that will improve and enforce reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This legislation will make it easier to legally prevent individuals from buying a firearm if they have previous felonies, indictments and other crimes which include domestic assaults. 

The legislation is a first step in the right direction to strengthen federal gun laws. It will have a meaningful impact on improving the background check system used by different agencies and levels of government across the country. If passed, this legislation will hold federal agencies responsible for sharing relevant data with the background check system. It will also compensate states to comply with implementation through federal grants and other incentives. 

We believe that the proliferation of handguns and semi-automatic assault weapons in the United States is a major health and safety threat to its citizens. The League supports this legislation because it will invest in an existing structure that makes it possible for state and federal officials to share relevant criminal records with the NICS. Strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of firearms by private citizens is necessary for consumer safety.