NICS Data Reporting Act of 2026
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Would require the Attorney General to report annually to Congress on the demographic characteristics of people denied firearm purchases through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), broken down by the reason for each denial and including data on denials later overturned on appeal.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would direct the Attorney General to submit an annual report to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees containing demographic data on individuals determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm following a NICS background check. The required data would include race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability status, average annual income, and English language proficiency, all disaggregated by the specific reason for the ineligibility determination. The bill would also require a separate breakdown of the same demographics for individuals whose ineligibility rulings were later overturned on appeal.
The bill does not change who is or is not eligible to purchase a firearm, nor does it alter the background check process itself. It creates a new congressional oversight mechanism by making denial data systematically visible to lawmakers, but all demographic fields are reported only "if available," limiting the mandate where data does not already exist.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Attorney General to submit an annual report to both Judiciary Committees containing demographic data on persons denied firearm purchases through NICS, disaggregated by reason for ineligibility.
- 2Would require the report to include race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability, average annual income, and English language proficiency of denied individuals, where available.
- 3Would require a separate breakdown of the same demographic data for individuals whose NICS ineligibility determinations were overturned on appeal.
Who would be affected
The Attorney General and the Department of Justice, which would be responsible for compiling and submitting the annual report. The Senate and House Judiciary Committees would receive the reports. Individuals denied firearm purchases through NICS are the subject of the data but are not themselves directed to take any action under the bill.
Why it matters
If enacted, Congress would gain a structured annual view of who is being denied firearm purchases and why, enabling legislators to identify potential disparities in how NICS denials fall across demographic groups. It would also highlight the population of people whose denials were successfully appealed, which could inform oversight of the accuracy of the background check system.
What would change
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- First annual NICS demographic report due to Congress
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 2267 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that H.R. 2267, the NICS Data Reporting Act of 2025, would have no effect on direct spending (mandatory outlays) or revenues, leaving the deficit unchanged over the 2025–2030 and 2025–2035 scoring windows. The only budgetary impact is a small administrative cost — less than $500,000 over 2025–2030 — to prepare annual reports to Congress on the demographic data of people found ineligible to purchase a firearm through National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks; that spending would depend on future appropriations. CBO found no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
Within one year of enactment, the Attorney General must deliver the first report to both Judiciary Committees; subsequent reports are due annually covering the preceding calendar year. The Attorney General would need to compile demographic data from NICS records, organize it by reason for ineligibility, and isolate the subset of denials overturned on appeal. All fields are qualified by "if available," meaning the Department of Justice must report what it has but is not required to collect new data it does not already possess.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Official CRS summary
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This bill requires the Department of Justice to report annually on the demographic data of persons who are determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on a background check performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Legislative subjects
Congressional oversight; Crime and Law Enforcement; Criminal justice information and records; Firearms and explosives; Government information and archives
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-336