Federal Firearm Licensee Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Senator Durbin, would require gun dealers to follow new security rules to prevent theft. Stores would be required to use video cameras, alarms, and reinforced locks, and keep firearms in fireproof safes or locked metal cabinets. Dealers would also have to perform a physical inventory check every three months and report any missing or stolen guns to the government.
• The policy would modernize how gun sales are tracked by moving toward electronic records. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) would create a searchable database of gun sales records to help solve crimes. While the database could be searched by serial number or store, it could not be searched by a person's name without a specific warrant from a judge.
• Websites and apps that host gun sales, known as 'facilitators,' would be required to get a federal license. These platforms would have to ensure that any sale made through their site is completed in person at a licensed gun shop, where a background check can be performed. This aims to close loopholes in online gun sales between private individuals.
• The government would increase oversight of gun shops by mandating more frequent inspections. 'High-risk' dealers—those with a history of violations or whose guns are frequently found at crime scenes—would be inspected every year, while all other dealers would be inspected at least once every five years. Additionally, all gun store employees would have to pass a background check before they are allowed to handle firearms.
• The bill would expand the types of sales that must be reported to the government. Currently, dealers must report when someone buys multiple handguns at once; this rule would be expanded to include semiautomatic rifles and shotguns. It also doubles the cost of federal firearms licenses, raising the fee for a standard dealer license from $200 to $400.