Magnolia State News

Legislation Would Ensure Federal Dollars Aren’t Used to Keep Registries of Lawful Gun Owners

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on May 18 reintroduced her legislation to prohibit states, localities, or any other organization from using federal funding to maintain gun registries.

The Gun-owner Registration Information Protection (GRIP) Act would clarify existing law that prohibits the use of any federal funding by states or local entities to store or list sensitive, personal information related to the legal ownership or possession of firearms.

“The GRIP Act is needed now more than ever as more anti-gun and anti-violence proposals too often end up infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners,” said Hyde-Smith, who first introduced the GRIP Act in the 116th Congress.

“The GRIP Act would ensure that states and cities comply with federal statutes that specifically prohibit the use of federal funds to keep gun registries, which can then be used to target people who own or purchase firearms legally,” the Senator added.

While current law prevents the federal government from storing information acquired during the firearms background check process, the GRIP Act would ensure the federal government does not support, either intentionally or otherwise, state or local efforts to collect and store personally identifiable information related to legal firearm purchases and ownership.

The bill also clarifies that states and local entities cannot use federal grant funds from programs, such as the National Criminal Histories Improvement Program, NICS Amendment Records Improvement Program, or the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, to create or maintain full or partial gun registries.  It would not limit states’ recordkeeping for permitting, law enforcement-issued firearms, or lost or stolen firearms.

Original cosponsors Hyde-Smith’s measure include Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.).  U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.) cosponsored companion legislation introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).

National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, National Association for Gun Rights, and Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association endorse the GRIP Act.

A GRIP Act one-page summary is available here.

Original source can be found here