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S. 3544: Federal Firearm Licensing Act

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S. 3544: Federal Firearm Licensing Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-12-17 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2025-12-17 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Federal Firearm Licensing Act

Plain summary

Federal Firearm Licensing Act This bill generally requires an individual to obtain a license before purchasing, receiving, or possessing a firearm. The bill also requires background checks for firearms transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals). Specifically, this bill requires individuals who purchase, receive, or possess a firearm to have a valid federal firearm purchasing license (or a state firearm purchasing license with substantially similar requirements). The bill requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to establish a federal system for issuing firearm purchasing licenses and sets forth requirements for the system, including eligibility requirements for a license (e.g., training in firearms safety and background investigation and criminal history check), standards for denying or revoking a license, and requirements for reporting transactions. The bill makes it unlawful to (1) purchase, receive, or possess a firearm without a valid firearm purchaser license; or (2) sell or transfer a firearm to an individual who does not have a valid firearm purchaser license or fail to report such a sale or transfer to law enforcement. Additionally, the bill prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a federal firearms licensee (e.g., gun dealer) first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Federal Firearm Licensing Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] · 7 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Andy Kim (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] reported raising $21.3 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Federalism
The sharing of power between a national government and state governments. Each level has its own powers, and some powers are shared. Counties and cities get their powers from their state.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong119-s3544 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills