YVN Summary
\n\nIf you buy a gun from a licensed dealer, the dealer keeps a record of the sale. Today those records stay at the shop. A dealer that closes for good sends its records to the federal government. Within 3 years, the ATF (the federal gun agency) would have to put the sale records it holds into searchable computer databases. This rule would apply even if current spending limits on the ATF say otherwise. Dealers could choose to give the ATF online access to their own records. They could also turn in old paper records after 10 years.\n\nThe ATF could search the databases only for three reasons. These are police cases run by U.S. or foreign agencies, foreign intelligence work, and checks on dealers who turned in paper records. Searches could use the sale date, the dealer, or gun details like the serial number. They could not use a buyer's name or other personal details, but each result would show the full record. With permission, the ATF could also search state or local gun registration and pawnshop records. Congress's watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, would audit the program within a year and every 2 years after that.
","status":"COMMITTEE_CONSIDERATION","topics":["CRIME"],"introducedAt":"2025-11-20T00:00:00+00:00","latestActionAt":"2025-11-20T00:00:00+00:00","congressGovUrl":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6223","accountabilityFlags":{"gun_laws":["↑ Searchable ATF database of gun sale records — within 3 years","↑ ATF online access to dealer records — only if the dealer agrees","↑ Dealers' option to turn in paper records — after 10 years","↑ ATF searches of state gun registries — only with state permission"],"civil_liberties":["↓ Privacy of gun sale records — searchable, but not by buyer's name","↓ Privacy of gun sale records — usable for foreign-intelligence work too"],"transparency_accountability":["↑ Watchdog audits of ATF's gun database — every 2 years"]},"tldr":"The ATF would get searchable databases of gun sale records — searchable by gun and dealer, but not by buyer name.","summaryStandard":"v2","flagExplainers":{"gun_laws":["The ATF's tracing center already holds dealer sale records. It would have to put them into databases it can search by computer. This holds even if current ATF spending limits say otherwise.","Licensed gun dealers could choose to let the tracing center reach the records they must keep. The bill does not make any dealer do this.","A dealer could give the ATF its paper sale records once 10 years have passed since the sale. Paper logbooks qualify after 10 years with no open or new entries.","The ATF could search a state's or city's gun registration and pawnshop records from afar. It would need that government's OK first."],"civil_liberties":["Searches could use the sale date, the dealer, or gun details like make, model, and serial number. They could not use a buyer's name or other personal details. But each result would show the dealer's full record.","The ATF could also search the records for foreign intelligence. Federal law says that means info about threats from foreign powers. Examples are attacks, spying, terrorism, and foreign drug rings."],"transparency_accountability":["Congress's watchdog would check if the ATF follows these rules. Its first audit comes within a year, then every 2 years. Reports go to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees."]},"flagValence":{"gun_laws":["contested","contested","contested","contested"],"civil_liberties":["contested","contested"],"transparency_accountability":["good"]},"needsResummary":false,"displaySummaryHtml":null,"rawStatusText":"Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.","chamber":"HOUSE","policyArea":"Crime and Law Enforcement","legislativeSubjects":[],"lawStatus":null,"lawNumber":null,"latestActionText":"Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.","latestTextVersion":"Introduced in House","textVersionUsed":null,"dateAdded":"2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00","summarizedAt":"2026-10-23T18:17:56+00:00","recordId":"1d80f306-c962-4449-862b-e48fec4c45cd","feedIdentityKey":"119/hr/6223","websiteBillId":"HR-6223","yourvoiceSummary":"If you buy a gun from a licensed dealer, the dealer keeps a record of the sale. Today those records stay at the shop. A dealer that closes for good sends its records to the federal government. Within 3 years, the ATF (the federal gun agency) would have to put the sale records it holds into searchable computer databases. This rule would apply even if current spending limits on the ATF say otherwise. Dealers could choose to give the ATF online access to their own records. They could also turn in old paper records after 10 years.\n\nThe ATF could search the databases only for three reasons. These are police cases run by U.S. or foreign agencies, foreign intelligence work, and checks on dealers who turned in paper records. Searches could use the sale date, the dealer, or gun details like the serial number. They could not use a buyer's name or other personal details, but each result would show the full record. With permission, the ATF could also search state or local gun registration and pawnshop records. Congress's watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, would audit the program within a year and every 2 years after that.","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T02:01:55.565082+00:00"}