Representative Gosar and Senator Hyde-Smith Reintroduce Legislation to Block Gun Registries

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09) issued the following statement in response to reintroducing H.R. 7678/S. 3916, the Gun-owner Registration Information Protection Act (GRIP Act), legislation to ensure federal taxpayer dollars are not used to create, maintain, or expand state firearm owner registries.

"Americans who lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights should never have their personal information tracked or exposed through systems supported by federal taxpayer funds. The GRIP Act reinforces existing law and makes clear that Washington, D.C. will not bankroll gun registries at any level.

The Second Amendment is not a second-class right. This legislation safeguards constitutional freedoms and protects the privacy of millions of law-abiding Americans ," stated Congressman Gosar.

"The Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens remain imperiled as Democrats and anti-gun activists lean into government overreach. The GRIP Act is needed to clarify that states and localities cannot use federal funds or data to keep gun registries that can lead to infringing on a constitutional right," Senator Hyde-Smith said.

"The danger of any form of gun registration lies in the historical pattern that follows. While such measures are often presented as well-intentioned, they have consistently led to expanded gun control rather than increased freedom. History shows that registration schemes are frequently a precursor to confiscation - as seen in modern examples such as England and Australia. Any infringement on the people's right to keep and bear arms violates the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land that every public official has sworn an oath to uphold and defend," added Sam Bushman, CEO of the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association.

"This is much-needed legislation to protect the privacy of those who choose to lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights when they purchase a firearm at retail. The GRIP Act will ensure federal funds aren't available to create and maintain state government watchlists that are ripe for privacy abuse by malevolent actors, much the same way private banking information was illegally abused by government authorities in the previous administration. NSSF is grateful to Congressman Paul Gosar for his leadership to protect the privacy and the Second Amendment rights of lawful gun-owning Americans," stated Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, NSSF - The Firearm Industry Trade Association.

Background:

Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 926(a)) prohibits the federal government from establishing a firearm registry or retaining records generated through the background check system. Congress has long maintained that firearm ownership records should not be centralized or used to compile national databases.

However, while federal agencies are restricted from maintaining registries, states and local governments receive significant federal grant funding through various programs. Ambiguities in how those funds may be used have raised concerns that federal dollars could indirectly support the development or maintenance of state-level databases for firearm ownership.

The GRIP Act closes the gap by explicitly prohibiting states, localities, or outside entities from using federal funds to store, list, or maintain personally identifiable information related to lawful ownership or possession of firearms. This legislation strengthens privacy protections and ensures uniform application of existing federal anti-registry policy nationwide.

The GRIP Act does not interfere with legitimate public safety functions. For example, states may continue maintaining records for lawful purposes such as law enforcement-issued weapons, and reports of lost or stolen firearms. The bill simply ensures that federal taxpayer dollars are not used to assemble comprehensive or partial gun owner registries.

Original House Cosponsors (75) : Amodei, Babin, Bean, Biggs (AZ), Biggs (SC), Boebert, Brecheen, Burlison, Carter (GA), Cline, Cloud, Clyde, Collins, Crane, Crawford, Crenshaw, Davidson, DesJarlais, Donalds, Downing, Edwards, Ezell, Feenstra, Fine, Fleischmann, Franklin, Gooden, Grothman, Guest, Hageman, Harrigan, Harris (MD), Harshbarger, Higgins, Hunt, Jack, Jackson (TX), Joyce, Kelly (PA), Langworthy, Letlow, Luna, Massie, McDowell, McGuire, Messmer, Miller (IL), Mills, Moolenaar, Moore (AL), Moran, Nehls, Norman, Ogles, Palmer, Perry, Rose, Roy, Rulli, Sessions, Shreve, Stauber, Stefanik, Steube, Stutzman, Taylor, Tenney, Tiffany, Timmons, Van Drew, Van Duyne, Van Epps, Weber, Webster, Williams (TX)

Senate Cosponsors (13) : Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jim Justice (R-WV), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), James Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Hoeven (R-ND), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

Outside Group Support : Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, Gun Owners of America (GOA), National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), National Rifle Association (NRA), NSSF