Keating Introduces Bill To Close Gaps In Terrorists Buying Guns

Press Release

Today, Congressman Bill Keating, who is Ranking Member of the Terrorism Subcommittee and a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, introduced H.R. 5495 to address a firearms security gap that was underscored by the Orlando terrorist attack. This bill would require notification to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the event that someone who has been investigated for ties to terrorism attempts to or purchases a firearm.

"Since the Boston Marathon bombing, I have been working to close the gaps in our information-sharing and counterterrorism policies," said Congressman Keating. "We know gaps in our counterterrorism efforts still exist and the ability of a suspected terrorist to buy a firearm is one of them. My legislation will make certain that the FBI is notified when those who have been investigated for terrorist activities buy firearms -- even if the investigation has been closed. Had a requirement like this been in place, the FBI would have known as soon as the Orlando terrorist bought his guns. We need to make changes moving forward to how we address domestic terrorist threats and the easy availability of military-grade assault weapons."

Keating's legislation specifically does two things. First, it requires that information on any person who has been or is under a terrorism investigation conducted by the Department of Justice or any other agency of the Federal government be included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database. The NICS is one of the main methods used to conduct background checks before firearms or explosives are purchased. Second, the legislation requires that the NICS contact the FBI if a purchaser of a firearm gets flagged in the database when attempting to purchase.

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