When you try to buy a gun and your background check isn't completed within three business days, the dealer can go ahead and sell it to you — that's called a "default proceed" sale. This bill would require dealers to report those sales to the FBI within 24 hours so the bureau can prioritize finishing the background check. It also bars the FBI from destroying the records of those sales until the check is actually complete, and requires annual public reports on how many default-proceed sales happened and how many went to people who turned out to be prohibited buyers.
Congressional Summary
Default Proceed Sale Transparency ActThis bill establishes new requirements in the case of a firearm transfer by a federally licensed dealer, manufacturer, or importer to an unlicensed person prior to the completion of a background check. Current law permits these transactions—default-proceed transactions—if a submitted background check remains incomplete after three business days.With respect to a default-proceed transaction, the billrequires a federally licensed dealer, manufacturer, or importer to report the transfer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) within 24 hours;requires the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to prioritize completing the background check related to the transfer; andrequires the NICS to retain records related to a proposed or completed firearm transfer until the background check is complete.Finally, the bill requires the FBI to report publicly on data related to default-proceed transactions. Further, it requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to report publicly on data related to the firearms transferred in default-proceed transactions.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-02-27
- Date Added
- 2026-04-06