Mike Levin: “the Brady law requires prospective gun purchasers to undergo a criminal background check before they are able to obtain…”

“the Brady law requires prospective gun purchasers to undergo a criminal background check before they are able to obtain a firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer. It was created to prevent felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, and other prohibited persons from gaining access to guns. However, there are significant holes in this legislation that permit exploitation by those who wish to avoid criminal background checks and still obtain guns. In 1993, President Clinton signed the Brady bill into law. This law required a waiting period for handgun sales until records were available to instantly check criminal background of prospective gun purchasers. Once the National Instant Check System, NICS, became operational in 1998, the Justice Department maintained background check records on approved purchases for 6 months in order to ensure that felons and other prohibited buyers were not mistakenly approved. In 2001, the Justice Department shortened this record retention period to 90 days, the actual amount of time it takes to ensure proper audits of NICS. Under the Bush administration, however, Attorney General John Ashcroft sought to require the records of approved purchasers to be destroyed within 24 hours.”