{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-joins-bipartisan-bill-to-enforce-current-law-regarding-the-background-check-system-for-firearms-purchases", "Sen. Coons joins bipartisan bill to enforce current law regarding the Background Check System for firearms purchases", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.17.17\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons joins bipartisan bill to enforce current law regarding the Background Check System for firearms purchases \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) joined Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), in sponsoring the Fix NICS Act to ensure federal and state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).\r\n\u201cI want to commend Senator Cornyn for leading efforts to ensure the National Background Check System works,\u201d said Senator Coons. \u201cI also want to commend his cosponsors, including Senators Murphy and Murkowski, as well as Senators Blumenthal, Hatch, and Feinstein. We must do all we can to ensure that individuals who are prohibited don\u2019t obtain firearms. I look forward to supporting the Fix NICS Act along with other efforts to strengthen existing laws and keep our communities safe.\u201d\r\nBackground on the Fix NICS Act\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Requires federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law\u2014including measures to verify the accuracy of records.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Holds federal agencies accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees.\u00a0\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rewards states who comply with their NICS implementation plans through federal grant preferences and incentives, while increasing accountability through public reporting for those who do not comply with their plans.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reauthorizes and improves important law enforcement programs to help state governments share relevant criminal record information with NICS.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Creates a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative to ensure that states have adequate resources and incentives to share all relevant information with NICS showing that a felon or domestic abuser is excluded from purchasing firearms under current law.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Provides important technical assistance to federal agencies and states who are working to comply with NICS record-sharing requirements.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 or\u00a0Sean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-joins-bipartisan-bill-to-enforce-current-law-regarding-the-background-check-system-for-firearms-purchases"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4834159519523382, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}