Bill Summary
The "Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act" is a proposed piece of legislation aimed at improving accountability among federally licensed firearms dealers. It requires the Attorney General, through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), to publish a list of firearm dealers who have a high number of "short time-to-crime" traces, indicating that firearms sold by these dealers are frequently used in crimes shortly after their sale.
Under this act, federal agencies would be prohibited from entering into contracts with any dealer listed as a "covered firearms dealer" for the current year or the previous two years. However, there is a waiver provision that allows the Secretary of Defense or Homeland Security to request an exemption from this prohibition for national security reasons, with the Attorney General required to notify congressional leaders of any granted waivers.
The act defines key terms, including what constitutes a "covered firearms dealer" and "time-to-crime," enhancing clarity and ensuring that the legislation targets dealers with significant concerns regarding the misuse of firearms. The aim of the act is to prevent federal partnerships with dealers that may contribute to gun violence through irresponsible sales practices.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the "Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act" could affect people:
1. **Increased Accountability for Firearms Dealers**: The legislation requires the Attorney General to publish a list of firearms dealers with a high number of short time-to-crime firearm traces. This could lead to increased accountability for those dealers, as they would face public scrutiny. Customers may be more cautious about purchasing firearms from dealers on this list, potentially affecting their business and sales volume.
2. **Impact on Federal Procurement Practices**: Federal agencies are prohibited from contracting with firearms dealers listed as "covered firearms dealers." This could affect the availability of firearms and related services for federal agencies, including law enforcement. As a result, agencies may need to seek alternative suppliers, potentially leading to delays or complications in acquiring necessary equipment for their operations.
3. **Potential National Security Implications**: The legislation includes a waiver provision that allows the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of Homeland Security to bypass the prohibition on contracting with covered firearms dealers if it pertains to national security. This could create a situation where certain firearms dealers, despite having a concerning track record, are still able to engage in business with federal agencies if deemed necessary. This might raise public concerns about the standards for firearms procurement and oversight in sensitive national security contexts.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2192 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2192
To require the Attorney General to make publicly available a list of
federally licensed firearms dealers with a high number of short time-
to-crime firearm traces, and to prohibit Federal departments and
agencies from contracting with such dealers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 26 (legislative day, June 24), 2025
Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Schiff, Mr. Murphy, Ms. Warren, Mr. Kim, and Ms. Duckworth) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Attorney General to make publicly available a list of
federally licensed firearms dealers with a high number of short time-
to-crime firearm traces, and to prohibit Federal departments and
agencies from contracting with such dealers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Clean Hands Firearm Procurement
Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL GUN TRACING NOTIFICATIONS.
Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the Attorney General, acting through the
Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,
shall publish or make publicly available a list of covered firearms
dealers.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON FEDERAL CONTRACTS WITH CERTAIN FEDERAL FIREARMS
DEALERS.
(a) Prohibition.--A Federal agency may not enter into a contract
with a licensed dealer that has been listed as a covered firearms
dealer during the current calendar year or either of the preceding 2
calendar years.
(b) Waiver Authority.--
(1) In general.--Upon a request by the Secretary of Defense
or the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General may
waive the applicability of subsection (a) to a contract, to
protect the national security of the United States.
(2) Notice.--The Attorney General shall immediately notify
the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Chair and
Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on the Judiciary of
the Senate of any waiver granted under paragraph (1). Notice
under this paragraph may be submitted in classified form.
(c) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Covered firearms dealer.--The term ``covered firearms
dealer'' means a licensed dealer with respect to whom, during
not less than 2 of the 3 calendar years before the publication
of the applicable list under section 2, the National Tracing
Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives has traced to the firearms business of the licensed
dealer not less than 25 firearms with a time-to-crime of not
more than 3 years.
(2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' means a
department, agency, office, or other establishment in the
executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of
the United States.
(3) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' has the meaning given
that term in section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code.
(4) Licensed dealer.--The term ``licensed dealer'' has the
meaning given that term in section 921(a) of title 18, United
States Code.
(5) Time-to-crime.--The term ``time-to-crime'' means, with
respect to a firearm, the period between the date of the last
known retail sale of the firearm and the date a law enforcement
agency recovers the firearm as a result of an actual or
suspected purchase, use, or possession of the firearm in, or
that constitutes, a crime.
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