Responsible Firearms Access And Background Integrity Act.

 

The purpose of this Act is to modernize firearm laws by reducing unnecessary burdens on lawful owners while improving

the accuracy, speed, and enforcement of background checks.

 

This Act seeks to combine greater freedom for lawful firearm owners with tighter controls on dangerous individuals,

achieved through modernized systems, better record management, efficient processes, and strong civil liberties

protections. It neither expands nor restricts gun rights wholesale; instead, it improves the effectiveness and fairness

of existing firearm laws.

 

1. “Background check” Means the process of determining an individual’s eligibility to purchase or possess a firearm

through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) or any state-approved system integrated with NICS.

2. “Concealed carry permit” Means a valid permit issued by this State, or by another state with equivalent background

check and eligibility standards, authorizing an individual to carry a concealed firearm. 3. “Dealer” or “Licensed

dealer” Means any person or business licensed under federal law to engage in the sale or transfer of firearms and

authorized under state law to conduct background checks. 4. “Disqualifying record” Means any criminal conviction,

warrant, adjudication, order, or other event that renders an individual prohibited from purchasing or possessing a

firearm under state or federal law, including but not limited to felony convictions, domestic violence offenses,

restraining orders, and mental health adjudications. 5. “Federal background check” Means a background check conducted

through NICS or its successor system, as required by federal law. 6. “Firearm” Means any weapon that expels a projectile

by the action of an explosive, including pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, but excluding devices specifically

exempted under federal or state statute. 7. “Hunter safety certificate” Means a state-issued certificate indicating

successful completion of a recognized hunter education or firearm safety course. 8. “Law-abiding citizen” Means an

individual who is not prohibited under state or federal law from owning, purchasing, or possessing a firearm. 9. “Mental

health adjudication” Means a court order, commitment, finding, or other formal adjudication that an individual is a

danger to self or others, or is otherwise disqualified from firearm possession pursuant to state or federal law. 10.

“NICS” Means the National Instant Criminal Background Check System established pursuant to the Brady Handgun Violence

Prevention Act, including any successor system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 11. “Prohibited

person” Means any individual who is barred under state or federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm, including

but not limited to convicted felons, domestic abusers, fugitives from justice, and individuals adjudicated as mentally

incompetent. 12. “Purchase permit” Means any state-issued permit previously required to buy or acquire a firearm,

separate from a concealed carry permit. 13. “Qualified event or adjudication” Means any occurrence that creates a

disqualifying record, including criminal convictions, court orders, domestic violence determinations, or mental health

adjudications. 14. “State-approved digital portal” Means the secure electronic system authorized by the Department of

Public Safety for conducting real-time background checks and submitting purchase information. 15. “Straw purchase” Means

the illegal acquisition of a firearm by one person on behalf of another person who is prohibited from, or seeking to

avoid, direct firearm purchase requirements. 16. “Task force” Means the specialized investigative unit established

within the Department of Public Safety under this Act to coordinate enforcement efforts against illegal firearm

trafficking and straw purchasing schemes. 17. “Transfer” Means the sale, loan, gift, assignment, or other conveyance of

a firearm from one person to another. 18. “Waiting period” Means any mandatory delay between initiating a firearm

purchase and completing the transfer, not including the time required to complete a legally required background check.

19. “Aggregated statistical reports” Means data compiled in a manner that does not identify, or permit the

identification of, any individual firearm owner, applicant, or permit holder. 20. “Department” Means the State’s

Department of Public Safety or its successor agency responsible for administering this Act.

 

Funding for system upgrades and reporting compliance shall be provided through reallocation of existing public safety

grants and supplemented, if necessary, by federal funds available under the NICS Act Record Improvement Program.

 

It shall remain unlawful to knowingly transfer a firearm to a person prohibited under state or federal law. The State

shall prioritize the prosecution of repeat offenders who attempt to purchase or traffic firearms illegally.

 

 

This Act shall take effect 180 days after enactment.