When big news hits the Nation’s Capital, everyone notices. But a lot of the real work that keeps your Second Amendment rights strong happens quietly, deep in the federal rule-making process. That is exactly where NRA has been for months—and where we continue to deliver results for gun owners and the businesses that serve them.
Earlier last year, President Trump signed Executive Order 14206, directing a full review of federal policies to eliminate any ongoing infringements of Second Amendment rights. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) answered with a sweeping regulatory overhaul—34 separate proposals or interim final rules opened for public comment.
NRA was ready. From the very start we handed the administration a practical list of roughly 50 reforms that could be accomplished without waiting for new laws from Congress. When ATF published its proposals, many based on items from our list, our legal and policy teams went to work. We filed nine detailed public comments totaling nearly 200 pages, backed by hundreds of citations to the actual statutes, court decisions, and existing rules.
Those comments focused on the issues that matter most to everyday gun owners and licensed dealers:
- Who can legally possess and receive firearms;
- What information you must give when you buy a gun from a federally licensed dealer;
- Protections for law-abiding gun owners who travel with firearms across multiple jurisdictions;
- How long the government can keep records of your purchases;
- The proof necessary for the government to take action against a licensed dealer;
- Whether Congress intended to allow one eligible person to buy a firearm for another eligible person; and
- Which state-issued licenses or permits let you skip a federal background check to buy a gun.
We concentrated on the proposals with the widest reach so the final rules would be as clear and workable as possible—and so any remaining overreach would be reined in.
This is not the kind of work that makes splashy headlines. It is the careful, expert work that actually shapes the rules you and your local gun shop live under every day.
Federal law requires agencies to take serious public comments like ours into account. When they do, the result is clearer rules, fewer traps for honest citizens, and a more livable environment for gun owners and the businesses that support them.
When they don’t, it strengthens our position in any future litigation.
You can read every one of NRA’s comments yourself at www.regulations.gov. Just search for “National Rifle Association” under the Comments tab and sort by newest first.
NRA’s strength has always been showing up—not only when the cameras are rolling, but in the detailed, technical stages where rights are won or lost. That sustained presence is why we remain the most effective advocate for the Second Amendment in Washington, D.C., and beyond.
Stay tuned as these rules move forward. We will keep you informed every step of the way.
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