Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2006 (Pub. L. No. 109-108)

On November 22, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Science, State, Justice, Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006, which includes a provision that limits states’ and localities’ use of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. This database tracks firearms associated with criminal activities and accidents. Prior to passage of this provision, the database was used by state and local officials seeking to identify the manufacturers of guns that are used repeatedly and disproportionately in violent crimes or are prone to cause accidental damages.

The provision bars states and localities from using the Firearms Trace System for anything other than criminal investigations and it only allows the requesting state or locality to have access to data pertaining to firearm information collected within their own jurisdiction. The law explicitly bars state and local investigators from using any data in the system for civil suits. An identically worded provision was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, and is discussed in part IV.A.9.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, Background Paper: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Program on Tracing Illegal Small Arms (June 2, 2001) (online at www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/fs/2001/3773.htm); Pub. L. No. 109-108, Title I (2005)