Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill on Background Checks

On Nov. 16, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled legislation that would enhance the background check system for gun sales, according to NBC News. 

Introduced by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the bill would galvanize states to ensure records are uploaded and accurate in the National Instant Background Check System (NICS).

NBC News reports:

According to a description of the bill, first obtained by NBC News, the “Fix NICS Act” offers a handful of solutions to help get all the necessary records uploaded, including asking federal agencies and states to produce plans to upload and verify the criminal and mental health records necessary to bar unfit purchasers from buying a weapon. The bill would also create incentives like grants for states that comply with the uploading requirements, and accountability measures like withholding political appointees bonuses for agencies that fail to do so.

"For years agencies and states haven’t complied with the law, failing to upload these critical records without consequence,” Cornyn said in a statement. “Just one record that’s not properly reported can lead to tragedy, as the country saw last week in Sutherland Springs, Texas. This bill aims to help fix what’s become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms."

Read more here.