Culberson and Cuellar’s Bipartisan Bill to Fix Gun Background Check System Passed by Committee

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 4477, also known as the Fix NICS Act of 2017, a bipartisan piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and I that would require federal and state authorities to enforce existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This bill was introduced in response to the horrific shooting that occurred in early November in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which killed 26 people. Specifically, the bill will:

• Require federal and state agencies to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system and enforce measures to verify the accuracy of records;
• Hold federal agencies accountable and ensure that states improve their overall reporting by implementing serious consequences if they fail to properly report relevant data;
• Reauthorize and improve important law enforcement programs to help state governments share relevant criminal record information with NICS. 

Read what I said about Committee Passage of #FixNICS Act of 2017:

House Judiciary Committee Approves Bills to Protect the Second Amendment and Curb Gun Violence
Had existing law been enforced, the terrible tragedy in Sutherland Springs, Texas would have never occurred. There is simply no excuse for the ongoing negligence of criminal history reporting into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). I’m greatly encouraged by this bipartisan effort to ensure federal and state authorities enforce existing law. I urge my colleagues in Congress to support this lifesaving piece of legislation.

Cuellar’s Bipartisan Bill to Fix Gun Background Check System Passed by Committee
The ongoing negligence of federal employees failing to enter criminal history into the NICS database is absolutely unacceptable. This systemic problem has cost lives, not just in Texas, but across the entire nation. I’m proud to join my colleague, Rep. Henry Cuellar, in supporting this lifesaving piece of legislation in this bipartisan effort to ensure federal and state authorities enforce existing law.