OKC Standard

Today, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) collaborated with U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and U.S. Representative Michael Cloud (R-TX) to introduce the No Retaining Every Gun In a System that Restricts Your (REGISTRY) Rights Act. The proposed legislation aims to prevent the creation of a federal firearms registry by the U.S. government.

"The Constitution is crystal clear," stated Sen. Mullin. "The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. End of story. As your Senator, I will always fight to protect the privacy of lawful gun owners and defend your Second Amendment rights."

The bill has garnered support from several other lawmakers, including U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), along with 47 members of the House of Representatives.

Currently, Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) are mandated to transfer firearm transaction records to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) when their businesses close. These records are stored in the ATF's Out-of-Business Records Imaging System, which contains nearly one billion records, forming what some consider a potential foundation for a federal firearms registry.

In April 2022, the Biden administration issued a final rule requiring FFLs to indefinitely retain all firearm transaction records. Prior to this change, federal regulations since 1984 permitted FFLs to dispose of records older than 20 years due to the "time-to-crime" period rarely exceeding two decades.