Background Check Completion Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would require gun dealers to wait for a completed background check before selling a firearm. Under current federal law, dealers can proceed with a sale if the FBI doesn't finish the check within three business days. This bill eliminates that automatic default-proceed provision.
• The bill closes what is commonly called the "Charleston Loophole" by removing the clause that lets a sale go through after a set waiting period. It strikes the provision in 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(1) that currently allows transfers when a background check is not completed in time.
• The bill also removes the 10-business-day cap on how long a background check can take. Under the current Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, there is a maximum 10-business-day window for certain buyers. This bill eliminates that limit, meaning a buyer would have to wait indefinitely until the FBI provides a final answer.
• The bill was introduced by Senator Blumenthal with 26 Democratic cosponsors and has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Its path forward faces significant political hurdles given the current makeup of Congress.