Angie Craig: “I rise to introduce the Firearms Owner Privacy Act of 1998. This bill is aimed at safeguarding the privacy of…”

“I rise to introduce the Firearms Owner Privacy Act of 1998. This bill is aimed at safeguarding the privacy of law-abiding citizens who choose to purchase firearms and therefore undergo the instant background check mandated by the Brady Act. As many of my colleagues know, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is scheduled to go online on November 30, 1998. After that date, federally-licensed firearms dealers are required to contact NICS before they sell any handgun or long gun, so that a records check can be performed to determine whether the purchaser is prohibited by law from receiving the firearm. A unique identification number will be assigned by the NICS to each search request in order to identify the transaction. That number is to be kept by the dealer. However, if the sale is approved--that is, if the purchaser is not disqualified from purchasing the firearm--all other records pertaining to that sale are to be destroyed. This only makes sense. The Brady Act was never aimed at generating records concerning legal firearms sales. It was promoted as a law enforcement tool--a tool to prevent illegal gun sales and prosecute convicted felons or other disqualified persons who attempt to obtain firearms illegally.”