June 24, 2026
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Reed, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide grants for State firearms dealer licensing programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act
.
Sec. 2. State Firearms Dealer Licensing Grant Program
(a) Grant program authorized
Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
PP State Firearms Dealer Licensing Grant Program
3061. Definitions
In this part:
(1) Eligible applicant
The term eligible applicant means a State or Indian tribal government that has in effect a law that, at a minimum, requires the following:
(A)
In order to engage in business as a firearms dealer in the area subject to the jurisdiction of the State or Indian tribal government, a person shall be a licensed dealer and be licensed as a firearms dealer under such law.
(B)
A person shall only be licensed as a firearms dealer under such law upon successful completion of the application process set by such law.
(C)
A license to engage in business as a firearms dealer shall be valid for not more than 3 years.
(D)
A person licensed as a firearms dealer shall submit to inspections under the law of the State or Indian tribal government.
(E)
Noncompliance of a person licensed as a firearms dealer with a requirement for firearms dealers under the law of the State or Indian tribal government may result in—
(i)
the suspension or revocation of the license; and
(ii)
the imposition of civil penalties or criminal charges.
(2) Licensed dealer
The term licensed dealer has the meaning given the term in section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code.
3062. Grant program
(a) Program authorized
Not later than 180 days after amount to carry out this part are appropriated, the Attorney General shall award annual grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible applicants for the development, implementation, improvement, or evaluation of firearms dealer licensing programs.
(b) Application
An eligible applicant desiring a grant under this part shall submit to the Attorney General an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may require, including—
(1)
a description of the law that the applicant has enacted to require a license for any firearms dealer, including a description of any exemptions to such law;
(2)
a description of how the applicant will use the grant to develop, implement, improve, or evaluate the firearms dealer licensing program of the applicant; and
(3)
a description of the inspection bodies and procedures of the applicant used to inspect firearms dealers.
(c) Subawards
A State that receives a grant under this part may make a subaward to a unit of local government authorized to oversee and enforce the development, implementation, improvement, or evaluation of the firearms dealer licensing program for which the grant under this part will be used.
(d) Reporting requirement
(1) Annual reports by recipients
An eligible applicant that receives a grant under this part shall provide an annual report to the Attorney General with the following information:
(A)
The number of inspections conducted in the jurisdiction of the eligible applicant of persons licensed as a firearms dealer by the eligible applicant during the previous year.
(B)
The number of violations by persons licensed as a firearms dealer by the eligible applicant that were cited during the previous year, disaggregated by violation type.
(C)
The total number of persons licensed as a firearms dealer by the eligible applicant as of the end of the previous year.
(D)
The number of licenses to engage in business as a firearms dealer in the jurisdiction of the eligible applicant that, during the previous year, were—
(i)
issued;
(ii)
renewed;
(iii)
suspended; or
(iv)
revoked.
(2) To Congress
Not later than 390 days after the date on which the Attorney General awards the first grants under this part, and annually thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress and make available publicly through print and electronic means a report that includes the following information:
(A)
A list of eligible applicants who received funds under a grant under this part during the previous fiscal year, including the funds awarded, cumulatively and disaggregated by grantee.
(B)
The information reported to the Attorney General pursuant to paragraph (1), disaggregated by grantee.
(C)
A list of eligible applicants that were denied grants under this part and the basis for such denials.
(e) Limitation on grant amount
A grant under this part may not be in an amount that is more than $2,500,000 per fiscal year.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
Section 1001(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10261(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(29)
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out part PP.