Law Enforcement Protection and Privacy Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would stop the public from using public records requests to get information from the national database that tracks guns used in crimes. It makes this tracking data and records kept by gun dealers strictly confidential under federal law.
• State and local governments that release this protected gun data would face fines of up to $25,000 per violation. If an agency breaks the rules multiple times, the federal government could block them from using the gun tracking system for one year.
• Licensed gun dealers would be allowed to sue government agencies if their business information is shared illegally. Dealers could win triple the amount of money they lost from the leak, or $25,000 for every piece of information that was shared.
• The bill removes the government's usual protection from being sued in these cases. This means a gun shop could take a federal, state, or local agency to court if that agency leaks sensitive records about the shop's inventory or sales history.
• Supporters of the change say it protects the privacy of law-abiding business owners and keeps sensitive police data safe. Critics often argue that keeping this data secret makes it harder for the public to see which stores sell the most guns used in crimes.