Bill > S374

This bill, the Protecting Responsible Gun Sellers Act of 2013, aims to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and expand its reach to all firearm sales. It emphasizes Congress's support for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and the prohibition of a national firearms registry. A key provision directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize working with states to quickly add missing records, including mental health information, to the NICS database, which is used to determine if someone is legally allowed to purchase a firearm. The bill also proposes to require background checks for all firearm sales, closing loopholes that currently allow some private sales to occur without them, though it includes exceptions for certain family transfers and temporary loans for specific purposes like hunting or shooting competitions. Furthermore, it mandates reporting of lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours of discovery and clarifies that federal court records should be included in the NICS system. The bill also establishes penalties for states that fail to make their data electronically available to NICS, potentially leading to a reduction in federal funding.