AIM Act
Sponsored By: Senator Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Introduced
Summary
Expanded federal access to firearm trace and license data. This bill would broaden ATF’s ability to keep and use firearm trace and background-check records and would revise dealer licensing and enforcement standards to a knowledge-based approach.
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- Law enforcement and ATF: Gives ATF broader authority to use trace data and to centralize or consolidate dealer acquisition and disposition records for enforcement and policy analysis.
- Federal Firearms Licensees and dealers: Changes eligibility and revocation standards from “willful” to “knowing,” tightens evidentiary review, and allows more frequent inspections and mandatory physical inventory checks.
- Gun buyers and privacy: Removes a requirement to destroy instant-check records within 24 hours, permitting longer retention of background-check records.
- Importers and collectors: Repeals several limits on importing surplus military firearms and removes some sporting-purpose constraints for shotgun imports.
- Public and researchers: Lifts bans on processing certain Freedom of Information Act requests about arson, explosives, and firearm traces, increasing public access to that information.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
More government access to gun records
If enacted, the bill would remove limits that stopped ATF and Justice from centralizing, searching, or keeping many gun-transaction and instant-check records. It would remove a 24-hour destruction rule for certain instant-check records and allow searching some out-of-business dealer records. The change would give law enforcement broader data access but increase privacy and disclosure risks for people in those records.
New enforcement rules for gun dealers
If enacted, licensed gun dealers would face tighter enforcement and new licensing risks. The bill would change the legal fault standard from "willfully" to "knowingly" for FFL eligibility and revocation. ATF could inspect dealer records and inventory more often and could require physical inventories. Appeals of license denials or revocations would be limited to the evidence used in the original case. ATF could deny licenses for lack of business activity.
Changes to gun import rules
If enacted, federal limits on denying import applications for some shotguns would be removed. The bill would also repeal older limits on how agencies treat "curios or relics" and surplus military firearms. Agencies would have more discretion over those imports. Importers, dealers, and collectors could gain or lose depending on how agencies act.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov