H.R. 4343House115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Unlawful Gun Buyer Alert Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 7:05 PM UTC

The Unlawful Gun Buyer Alert Act would change the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 so that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System must alert law‑enforcement agencies when a background check shows a person is prohibited from receiving a firearm. The notification would be sent after three business days and after a firearm has been transferred despite the prohibition. The rule would affect licensed firearm importers, manufacturers, dealers, and the local, state, and FBI law‑enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction over the transaction.

Key Provisions

Adds a new Section 107 that requires NICS to notify law‑enforcement agencies when a background check determines a purchase would violate 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) or (n).
The notification is triggered after three business days have passed since the licensee contacted NICS and a firearm has been transferred to the prohibited person.
The agencies to be notified are the FBI field office, the local law‑enforcement agency, and the state law‑enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the dealer’s location and the buyer’s residence.
Updates the table of contents of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act to include the new Section 107.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee

December 13, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

November 9, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

November 9, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee

December 13, 2017

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued November 9, 2017

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4343

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 9, 2017

Mr. Cicilline (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Blumenauer, and Mr. McGovern) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to provide notification to relevant law enforcement agencies in the event that a background check conducted by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System determines that a person may not receive a firearm, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Unlawful Gun Buyer Alert Act.

Notification to law enforcement agencies of prohibited purchase or attempted purchase of a firearm

(a)

In general

Title I of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (18 U.S.C. 922 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

107.

Notification to law enforcement agencies of prohibited purchase of a firearm

(a)

In general

In the case of a background check conducted by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System pursuant to the request of a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer of firearms (as such terms are defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code), which background check determines that the receipt of a firearm by a person would violate subsection (g) or (n) of section 922 of title 18, United States Code, and such determination is made after 3 business days have elapsed since the licensee contacted the System and a firearm has been transferred to that person, the System shall notify the law enforcement agencies described in subsection (b).

(b)

Law enforcement agencies described

The law enforcement agencies described in this subsection are the law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction over the location from which the licensee contacted the system and the law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction over the location of the residence of the person for which the background check was conducted, as follows:

(1)

The field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(2)

The local law enforcement agency.

(3)

The State law enforcement agency.

(b)

Clerical amendment

The table of contents of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (18 U.S.C. 922 note) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 106 the following:

107. Notification to law enforcement agencies of prohibited purchase of a firearm.