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Since 2003, the Tiahrt Amendment has been an amendment to the Department of Justice appropriations bill. It prohibits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) from releasing gun trace data to the public. It does not prevent access to gun trace data to law enforcement organizations in the course of a criminal investigation. The data had been used by lawyers to fuel lawsuits by localities against firearm dealers. In the process, they had also endangered ongoing investigations. What does it say? From the 2006 H.R.2862: That no funds appropriated under this or any other Act with respect to any fiscal year may be used to disclose part or all of the contents of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or any information required to be kept by licensees pursuant to section 923(g) of title 18, United States Code, or required to be reported pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (7) of such section 923(g), to anyone other than a Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency or a prosecutor solely in connection with and for use in a bona fide criminal investigation or prosecution and then only such information as pertains to the geographic jurisdiction of the law enforcement agency requesting the disclosure and not for use in any civil action or proceeding other than an action or proceeding commenced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or a review of such an action or proceeding, to enforce the provisions of chapter 44 of such title, and all such data shall be immune from legal process and shall not be subject to subpoena or other discovery in any civil action in a State or Federal court or in any administrative proceeding other than a proceeding commenced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to enforce the provisions of that chapter, or a review of such an action or proceeding; except that this proviso shall not be construed to prevent the disclosure of statistical information concerning total production, importation, and exportation by each licensed importer (as defined in section 921(a)(9) of such title) and licensed manufacturer (as defined in section 921(a)(10) of such title): Who supports it? - The Department of Justice
- The Fraternal Order of Police
- The NRA
Who does not support it? - The Brady Campaign
- The Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Those opposed to the Tiahrt Amendment claim to have the support of police chiefs across the nation. What they don't tell you is that these chiefs are political appointees of mayors who may be members of The Mayors Against Illegal Guns. They are not cops actually working the streets. In the 109th Congress, Senate Bill 2460 and House Bill 5033 attempted to undo the Tiahrt Amendment. Neither made it anywhere. And how does Tiahrt feel about what is said about his amendment? Check out Tiahrt Responds to MAIG Campaign of Lies and Distortion.
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