Legislation Search

H.R. 7678: Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act

This bill, titled the Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act, seeks to limit federal funding for specific state-level initiatives concerning firearm ownership. Here’s a summary of the key points of the legislation:

1. Purpose of the Bill

The primary aim of this bill is to prohibit federal agencies from providing funding or other support for the creation or upkeep of databases that track firearm ownership at the state level. This is directly related to concerns about privacy and the potential for such databases to lead to unwanted governmental oversight of law-abiding gun owners.

2. Definitions

State: The term "State" is defined broadly and includes all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any other U.S. territories.
State firearm ownership database: This refers to any comprehensive or partial database maintained by a state or local government that includes information on:
- Firearms that are lawfully owned or possessed by individuals.
- Individuals who lawfully own or possess firearms.

3. Prohibition on Federal Funding

The bill explicitly states that no federal agency is allowed to provide funding or support for the establishment or ongoing maintenance of any state firearm ownership database. This reflects a legislative intent to limit the resources available for tracking individual firearm ownership at the state level.

4. Exceptions to the Prohibition

There are certain exceptions to the prohibition outlined in the bill. Federal funding is still permitted for databases that:

Track firearms reported as lost or stolen.
Include information about individuals who have reported their firearms as lost or stolen.

This means that while the bill limits the general tracking of firearm ownership, it does not prevent states from maintaining certain records relevant to lost or stolen firearms.