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Update: On March 23, 2018, President Donald Trump signed an omnibus spending bill into law that contained the (unaltered) provisions of the Fix NICS Act. Texas Senator John Cornyn, one of the co-sponsors of the bill (along with Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy) tweeted the following in response: “The benefits of Omnibus to…fixing gun background check system are important and will save lives.” Thanks to everyone who took this action!
In the wake of a series of horrific shootings—including the October 1st tragedy in Las Vegas in which a single gunman inflicted 600 casualties—the House Judiciary Committee will mark up two gun bills on November 29, 2017.
The first is H.R. 4434, the Fix NICS Act, cosponsored by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and John Cornyn (R-TX). This bill would take a number of critical steps to improve the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which is queried during background checks for gun buyers.
H.R. 4434 would create new incentives for states to get records on prohibited firearm purchasers (domestic abusers, the dangerous mentally ill, substance abusers, etc.) into NICS. It would also direct federal agencies including the military branches to share these records with the FBI.
The second bill is H.R. 38, the dangerous “National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,” which is the top federal priority of the National Rifle Association. This legislation would:
- Force states with strong gun laws to honor concealed carry permits from states with weak laws. This would individuals with a history of violence to carry guns in public in all 50 states.
- Allow individuals who are prohibited from getting a concealed carry permit in their home state to visit another state with weaker laws to get the permit.
- Make it nearly impossible for law enforcement to verify concealed carry permits from other states. H.R. 38 would even allow permit holders to sue police officers for checking their background!
Please contact your U.S. Representative through the U.S. Capitol Hotline at (202) 224-3121 and give him/her the following message:
Please do everything in your power to support H.R. 4434, the Fix NICS Act, and ensure that a clean version of the bill is passed by the House of Representatives. The Fix NICS Act is desperately needed to shore up the National Instant Criminal Background Check System so that prohibited, violent individuals cannot legally buy guns in this country. Simultaneously, please do your utmost to defeat H.R. 38, the dangerous “National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,” and ensure that it is permanently tabled in the House. It is an absolute affront that this noxious legislation—drafted by NRA lobbyists for the benefit of the gun industry—is even seeing the light of day in the House. It would force states to allow violent individuals to carry loaded, hidden guns on their streets, putting the safety of our families and communities in jeopardy. As your constituent, I will be watching your action on these two bills very closely and basing my voting, organizing and philanthropic decisions in the upcoming election on them.
If you don’t know who your U.S. Representative is, or want a direct-dial number, click here:
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Once you have contacted your U.S. Representative, click the orange banner below to report taking action!