A group of eight Republican U.S. Senators on Thursday introduced a new measure meant to improve the fairness, speed and transparency of background checks and application processes for National Firearms Act (NFA) items.
Led by U.S. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, the group introduced the ATF Transparency Act, which, if passed, would ensure law-abiding gun owners experience a fair and speedy application process when exercising their Second Amendment rights.
One of the current issues is that no formal appeal process currently exists for individuals who fail the ATF’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), regardless of whether the denial was based on mistaken identity, misinterpreted criminal records or records that were ultimately resolved.
In a nutshell, the act would codify the appeals process to protect law-abiding Americans’ background checks from being wrongfully denied, require the ATF to process applications within three days and require the Government Accountability Office and DOJ to report on the number of NFA items involved in unresolved background checks, recommend ways to reduce unresolved checks and report on the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System involvement. If the ATF fails to process applications within three days, the applications would be automatically approved.
“Law-abiding gun owners wrongfully denied their Second Amendment rights should be able to appeal their case through an efficient, transparent process,” Sen. Risch said in a press release announcing the legislation. “My ATF Transparency Act is simple. It codifies the current appeals process, holds the ATF to a higher standard and gives Idaho’s lawful gun owners a faster, fairer process for firearm applications.”
Another bill author, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, said the measure helps fulfill part of his mission as a U.S. Senator.
“As a lifelong gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment, I came to the Senate with the mission of protecting this sacred Constitutional right of all Kansans,” Sen. Marshall said. “The ATF Transparency Act furthers this mission by requiring the ATF to develop an appeals process to protect Americans’ background checks from being wrongfully denied. This is a commonsense step forward to safeguard the Second Amendment, and I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues in support.”
Not surprisingly, the measure has received the support of top pro-gun organizations, including Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).
“Gun Owners of America is proud to endorse Sen. Risch’s legislation to eliminate ATF’s bureaucratic loopholes in the already unconstitutional National Firearms Act,” said Aidan Johnston, GOA director of federal affairs. “ATF has deceived Congress and the American public with inaccurate NFA approval estimates for far too long. There is no reason that an NFA approval time should take longer than a normal background check, especially since ATF has shown they are able to rapidly approve forms after Congress instructed them to. A Right Delayed is a Right Denied.”
Along with Sens. Risch and Marshall, others co-authoring the measure include Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho, Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy of Montana, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming.
Want to hold ATF accountable?
Start by holding them accountable for the shooting of Bryan Malinowski.
Wanna Hold em accountable. Put real responsibility in for making bad decisions.
Prejudicial seizures- If the citizen is found not guilty the ATF and arresting agencies must return all property, money etc plus pay an amount of money that would be triple damages for the property seized, legal expense, lost employment etc. First time Agent Bozo seizes some guys guns prejudically (before a trial or court hearing) and the govment has to cough up a total of three times the value…Oh yeah.
Next Make it where citizens can petition and sue the individual agents if they violated their oath…just like cops.
There is no accountability with the feds. Shutting them down is the only way to stop the abuse.
Sad but true. I see where libertarians are coming from. Our federal government has been a disaster.
Correct. The feds do things because they can, all the while ignoring right and wrong.
All while marching drama queen democRats were busy trying to “whitewash” the party owning the Legacy of Slavery by removing Civil War statues and monuments Gun Talking blowbags said nothing about how History Confirms Gun Control is Rooted in Racism and Genocide and worse said nothing about removing the 1968 “Gun Control” Act.
On the other hand let some politically inept stupid sob trash talk POTUS DJT following Vegas and blowbags form a lynchmob.
Yepper there are serious issues with the atf and there are serious issues with certain self serving Gun Talking blowbags whose stupidity has kept Gun Control alive.
Shut it down, problem solved.
Correct me if I’m wrong but having the ATF approval for owning a SBS still doesn’t let me carry that shotty loaded within my reach in a vehicle.
Is that correct.
can’t be they be left accounting by NOT existing. That would seem to be the best accountability a person could ask for.
That agency exists to do nothing but terrorize gun owners with completely incomprehensible and ever changing laws and unconstitutional edicts created by people that hate us.
SCOTUS BREAKING NEWS: HIGHLY UNUSAL DEMAND MADE IN CCW CARRY CASE.
A highly unusual new brief was filed in the Supreme Court’s Worth case out of Minnesota. Mark Smith, Four Boxes Diner, discusses the brief.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxk_-nvUbxk
Dog Shoots Owner.
A Memphis man was shot by his dog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Cksd1jxqE
Police Want Concealed Carry Legislation That Could Bring Down Crime.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2025/03/14/sheriffs-push-concealed-carry-legislation-that-could-bring-down-crime-n4937920
(left-wing) Domestic Terrorists Add Swatting Conservatives on X — And Murder?— to Their Terror Tactics.
https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2025/03/14/organized-crime-leftists-add-swatting-conservatives-on-x-to-their-tesla-and-trump-terror-tactics-n4937910
In a Sane World, Firearms Suppressors Would Be Unregulated.
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2025/03/14/in-a-sane-world-firearms-suppressors-would-be-unregulated-n2186675
As noted above, I’m not understanding why this agency is still allowed to exist. Anything less than complete dissolution is an epic fail.
Defund and disband the ATF and replace Pam Bondi as our AG with someone who does not favor red flag laws and is more second amendment friendly . She sucks as our AG and is not going to stand up for the second amendment rights of Americans .