Gun bill would help public challenge FBI background checks

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) is pushing legislation he says would help people clear up inaccurate information in the FBI’s background check system.

The Firearm Due Process Protection Act introduced Monday would make it easier for people who have been denied a gun because they failed a background check to expunge inaccurate information from their records.

{mosads}This could include “mismatched fingerprints and inaccurate criminal history records” that led to the FBI rejecting a person’s application for a gun, Emmer explained.

Emmer claims the FBI has stopped considering appeals from prospective gun owners who want to remove inaccurate information from their records. His bill would give the FBI 60 days to make a determination on an appeal.

The bill would also require the FBI to report the total number of appeals it receives.

“This president’s executive actions on guns should not deprive law-abiding Americans of their constitutional right to due process,” Emmer said in a statement.

“Citizens who go through the appropriate, legal process of ensuring their own personal protection should not face unnecessary government blockades,” he continued. “Two months is a reasonable amount of time to run a background check and correct false information.

“Above all, citizens must always have recourse when denied a fundamental right,” said Emmer.

The FBI declined to comment on the legislation.

This story was updated at 6:09 p.m.