{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-8","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 8","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To require a background check for every firearm sale.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To require a background check for every firearm sale."},{"type":"Short Title(s) from PCS (Placed on Senate Calendar) bill text","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2021-03-01","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2021-03-11","vote":{"id":"117-2021-h75","question":"On Passage","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act","result":"Passed","yea":227,"nay":203,"present":0,"not_voting":1,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll075.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 390.","date":"2022-05-25"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2021-03-11","question":"On Motion to Recommit","title":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act","result":"Failed","yea":207,"nay":217,"present":0,"not_voting":6,"kind":"procedural","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll074.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2021-03-11","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals)."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check."},{"k":"p","t":"The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers or exchanges, such as a gift between spouses in good faith."}],"words":70},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Requires that a firearm transfer between two people who are not licensed importers, manufacturers or dealers go through a licensee who first takes possession of the firearm, and sets exceptions to that requirement.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}]},"core_areas":["Background checks for firearm transfers between unlicensed persons","Exceptions to the licensee-possession requirement","Notice and form requirements for licensed dealers, importers and manufacturers"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Makes it unlawful for a person who is not a licensed importer, manufacturer or dealer to transfer a firearm to another unlicensed person unless a licensee has first taken possession of it for the purpose of complying with subsection (t).","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}},{"text":"Requires a licensee who takes possession of a firearm this way to comply with all requirements of the chapter as if transferring it from the licensee's own inventory, and provides that returning an uncompleted transfer's firearm to the transferor is not a transfer.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}},{"text":"Exempts several kinds of transfers, including those by law enforcement and armed forces members acting in official duties, certain family loans and bona fide gifts, estate transfers on death, temporary transfers to prevent imminent harm, and certain temporary transfers at shooting ranges or for hunting.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}},{"text":"Makes it unlawful for a licensee to transfer a firearm to an unlicensed person without giving notice of the prohibition and obtaining the person's certification on a form prescribed by the Attorney General, who must make English and Spanish versions available.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}},{"text":"Amends section 924(a)(5) of title 18 to change \"(s) or (t)\" to \"(s), (t), or (aa)\"; these amendments take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}},{"text":"States that the Act does not authorize a national firearms registry and does not interfere with a State's authority under section 927 of title 18 to enact a law on the same subject matter.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh#H83376E5646C14DC89F7ABFC480C8E84D"},"heading":"Firearms transfers","effect":"Exempts listed groups and kinds of transfers from the requirement that a licensee take possession first, including law enforcement and armed forces members on duty, certain family loans and gifts, estate transfers, emergency temporary transfers, and temporary transfers at ranges or while hunting.","amount":null,"quote":"a loan or bona fide gift between spouses, between domestic partners, between parents and their children, including step-parents and their step-children, between siblings"}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2021-03-11","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-8.png","v":"86c64f745490","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 8, 117th Congress: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021. House: 227 Yea, 203 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 11 Mar 2021."}}