Bipartisan gun bills move onward

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to ensure federal and state authorities accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

The bill, called the Fix NICS Act, penalizes federal agencies who fail to properly report relevant records. It also incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting and directs more federal funding to the accurate reporting of domestic violence records.

“The Fix NICS Act … strikes the right balance between addressing legitimate public safety concerns and protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Senator Tillis. “The legislation will ensure that state and federal agencies follow our existing laws and that the national background check system receives the information necessary to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.”

Tillis’ bill has received endorsements from the National Rifle Association of America, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and the National Sheriffs Association.

It was passed by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday with a 17-6 bipartisan vote, alongside the party-line approval of Rep. Richard Hudson’s Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.

Hudson’s bill is scheduled for a house vote next week.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans support concealed carry reciprocity. Momentum, common sense, and the facts are on our side,” said Rep. Hudson. “I want to thank Speaker Paul Ryan for his strong support of the Second Amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support this … bill to protect law-abiding citizens.”