U.S. Representative Paul A. Gosar of Arizona and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith have reintroduced the Gun-owner Registration Information Protection Act (GRIP Act), which aims to prevent federal taxpayer funds from being used to create or maintain state firearm owner registries.
In a statement, Congressman Gosar said, “Americans who lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights should never have their personal information tracked or exposed through systems supported by federal taxpayer funds. The GRIP Act reinforces existing law and makes clear that Washington, D.C. will not bankroll gun registries at any level.
The Second Amendment is not a second-class right. This legislation safeguards constitutional freedoms and protects the privacy of millions of law-abiding Americans.”
Senator Hyde-Smith added, “The Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens remain imperiled as Democrats and anti-gun activists lean into government overreach. The GRIP Act is needed to clarify that states and localities cannot use federal funds or data to keep gun registries that can lead to infringing on a constitutional right.”
Sam Bushman, CEO of the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, commented, “The danger of any form of gun registration lies in the historical pattern that follows. While such measures are often presented as well-intentioned, they have consistently led to expanded gun control rather than increased freedom. History shows that registration schemes are frequently a precursor to confiscation — as seen in modern examples such as England and Australia. Any infringement on the people’s right to keep and bear arms violates the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land that every public official has sworn an oath to uphold and defend.”
Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President & General Counsel for NSSF – The Firearm Industry Trade Association, stated, “This is much-needed legislation to protect the privacy of those who choose to lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights when they purchase a firearm at retail. The GRIP Act will ensure federal funds aren’t available to create and maintain state government watchlists that are ripe for privacy abuse by malevolent actors, much the same way private banking information was illegally abused by government authorities in the previous administration. NSSF is grateful to Congressman Paul Gosar for his leadership to protect the privacy and the Second Amendment rights of lawful gun-owning Americans.”
Current federal law prohibits establishing a national firearm registry or retaining records generated through background checks by federal agencies; however, there are concerns about how state governments may use federal grant funding related to firearms ownership databases due to ambiguous regulations.
The proposed legislation seeks to address this issue by explicitly barring states or localities from using federal resources for storing or maintaining personally identifiable information about lawful firearm owners.
According to biographical information,Paul Gosar currently serves in Congress representing Arizona’s 9th district after replacing Ann Kirkpatrick in 2011.He won his most recent election against Quacy Smith in 2024 with 65% of votes. He was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming in 1958 and lives in Bullhead City.
The GRIP Act does not affect legitimate public safety functions such as recordkeeping for law enforcement-issued weapons or reports on lost or stolen firearms but focuses on preventing comprehensive gun owner registries funded with federal money.
Supporters include several outside organizations such as Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, Gun Owners of America (GOA), National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), National Rifle Association (NRA), and NSSF.
