Bill Overview
Title: No Retaining Every Gun In a System That Restricts Your Rights Act
Description: This bill modifies the retention requirements for firearm transaction records of federal firearms licensees (FFLs) that go out of business. Current law generally requires FFLs that go out of business to deliver their firearm transaction records to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This bill removes the requirement for FFLs that go out of business to deliver their firearm transaction records to the ATF. Further, the bill requires the ATF to destroy all out-of-business records it has collected from FFLs.
Sponsors: Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27]
Target Audience
Population: General population affected by changes to gun legislation and regulations
Estimated Size: 5000000
- The bill pertains to federal firearms licensees (FFLs) and their obligations regarding firearms transaction records.
- FFLs that go out of business are no longer required to submit their transaction records to the ATF, potentially impacting their business operations and compliance costs.
- The ATF will be required to destroy all out-of-business records, which affects the operational processes and data management of the ATF.
- This change may impact law enforcement agencies by limiting access to historical firearm transaction records for investigations.
- The general public, especially those concerned with gun control and public safety, may feel the effects of this legislation through potential changes in the ability to trace firearms used in crimes.
Reasoning
- The policy directly affects FFLs going out of business and law enforcement, potentially impacting a smaller subset of the population directly but touching a wider societal concern regarding gun safety.
- Consideration for simulated subjects includes geographic diversity, representing both affected and unaffected populations across urban and rural areas.
- Given the policy's limited scope and the modest budget, most individuals will only see indirect effects, influencing the distribution of perceived impact levels.
Simulated Interviews
Gun Store Owner (Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As an FFL, I welcome this change. It eases the bureaucratic burden when closing a business.
- The policy reduces compliance costs, which is crucial for small businesses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Law Enforcement Officer (California)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy makes it more challenging to trace firearms recovered from crime scenes.
- I'm concerned about our ability to quickly tie firearms to previous owners.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 7 |
Public Health Researcher (New York)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This act poses significant setbacks in data availability for research.
- Loss of historical transaction data complicates public health tracking of gun-related incidents.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 5 |
College Student (Illinois)
Age: 25 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm concerned this policy hampers transparency in gun sales.
- It makes it harder for future policymakers to assess the impact of guns on society.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Federal Firearms Licensee (Florida)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Without this burden, closing my business is less costly.
- However, as a citizen, I see potential risks in restricted access to transaction records.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired ATF Agent (Virginia)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Destruction of records could impede historical investigations and accountability.
- Yet, it lessens the administrative load on current agents.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 5 |
Gun Rights Advocate (Oregon)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is a step towards protecting privacy rights of gun owners.
- Less government oversight on private transactions aligns with my advocacy goals.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Firearm Historian (Missouri)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The destruction of records is a loss to historical research.
- Concerns over gaps in firearm lineage important for my field.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 5 |
Mother of three, community volunteer (Ohio)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reductions in available transaction records raises worries about firearm access.
- I'm cautious about how this influences community hands-on guns.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Data Privacy Consultant (Pennsylvania)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm in favor of destroying personal transaction details to uphold privacy standards.
- The policy simplifies compliance obligations for small FFLs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $10000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $20000000)
Year 2: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $10000000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $10000000)
Year 5: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $10000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Balancing public safety with regulatory burdens on business and government operations is a critical aspect of this policy.
- The reduction of regulatory oversight may lead to concerns about impacts on crime investigation capabilities and public trust in firearm transaction transparency.