Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has joined forces with Senator James Risch (R-Idaho) to introduce legislation aimed at preventing the federal government from establishing a national firearms registry. The proposed No Retaining Every Gun In a System that Restricts Your (REGISTRY) Rights Act, also known as S.119, seeks to safeguard Second Amendment rights by prohibiting the creation of such a registry.

Hyde-Smith emphasized the potential dangers of a federal gun registry, stating, "The creation of a federal gun registry would set a dangerous precedent that could severely compromise the rights of law-abiding Mississippians and Americans." She highlighted the importance of defending these rights against what she perceives as federal overreach.

Senator Risch expressed similar concerns about federal overreach, particularly regarding actions by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). He stated, "The ATF’s excessive overreach has gone unchecked for too long. Idaho’s law-abiding gun owners should not be subject to an already illegal federal firearms registry."

Under current law, while Federal Firearms Licensees are required to maintain records of firearm sales per the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act of 1986 prohibits any federal registry. S.119 aims to block efforts by the Biden administration to retain firearm transaction records indefinitely. The bill mandates that existing records be deleted and allows businesses to destroy records upon closure.

Key aspects of the proposed legislation include requiring the deletion of all existing firearm transaction records by the ATF and preventing any future establishment or maintenance of a firearms registry.

In addition to Hyde-Smith and Risch, several other Republican senators have supported this bill: Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), along with 47 members from the House of Representatives.

Hyde-Smith is also backing another piece of legislation alongside Senator Daines—the Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination (FIND) Act—aimed at preventing discrimination against firearm-related businesses in federal contracting processes. Hyde-Smith explained her support for this act: “Our Constitution forbids the federal government from discriminating against firearm ownership."

Daines criticized what he described as an unconstitutional agenda against gun rights by some Democrats and corporations: "Democrats and woke corporations have proven over and over again that they want to carry out an unconstitutional, overreaching gun-grabbing agenda."

The FIND Act intends to ensure that entities discriminating against firearm trade associations or businesses cannot benefit from taxpayer-funded contracts or subcontracts.