Tom Rice, 40+ GOPs introduce new bill to dismantle ATF firearms registry

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - A new bill sponsored by Congressman Tom Rice (R-SC) seeks to delete all existing firearm transaction records.

Rice announced his sponsorship of the No Retaining Every Gun In a System That Restricts Your (REGISTRY) Rights Act on Wednesday.

This bill will direct the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to delete all existing firearm transaction records in their systems.

ATF utilizes out-of-business FFL records to assist in the investigation of firearm thefts when incomplete identifying information is available. Since 1968, ATF has received several hundred million such records and its Out-of-Business Records Repository is the only one of its kind in the world.

“There is no reason for law-abiding American gun owners to be subjected to this kind of overreach by the federal government,” said Rice.

ATF firearms tracing exists to provide investigative leads for federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies.

Under current law and regulations, Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) are authorized to destroy their firearm transaction records after 20 years.

Once FFLs go out of business, they would then transfer these records to the ATF.

Though there is a statutory prohibition on a federal firearms registry, the ATF recently revealed that it had nearly 1 billion firearm transaction records on file.

The No REGISTRY Rights Act would limit the ability of the ATF to use these records to create a federal firearms registry by requiring the ATF to destroy all firearm transaction records they have on file.

FFLs would be required to destroy all firearm transaction records once they go out of business.