Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Shining a Spotlight on Safer Communities Act”.
Shining a Spotlight on Safer Communities Act
A BILL
To require reports on the progress and implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Sec. 2 Findings
The Congress finds as follows:
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is saving lives by keeping guns out of dangerous hands including through new provisions related to firearms trafficking and straw purchasing, improving school safety, improving access to mental health care, and expanding community violence interventions.
People in the United States are 25 times more likely to be victims of gun violence compared to people in other developed countries.
In 2022, more than 6,000 children were killed by gun violence in the United States—by far the most of any year on record.
Over the past decade, the gun death rate has increased 17 percent.
Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States.
Sec. 3 Annual reports to Congress on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Within 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and in each of fiscal years 2024 through 2027, the Attorney General shall prepare and submit to the Congress and make available to the public a report that, with respect to the then most recently completed fiscal year—
contains a comprehensive review of the progress, implementation, and enforcement of sections 932 and 933 of title 18, United States Code, as added by section 12004 of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act;
specifies—
the total number of investigations opened by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives as a result of the enactment of such sections, and the field division of the Bureau in which the investigations took place;
the total number of investigations opened by other Federal agencies as a result of the enactment of such sections;
any other Federal, State, or local law enforcement agencies involved in the investigations;
the total number of investigations that resulted in a formal referral for prosecution, including any other criminal statutes implicated, disaggregated by criminal offense;
if there was no such referral, the reason why not; and
the final outcomes of the investigations;
specifies the total number of prosecutions under each such section, disaggregated by—
the judicial district involved;
the number of defendants in each case and the demographics of the defendants;
any other charges that were brought in each case; and
the outcomes of the prosecutions, including any forfeitures or fines imposed under section 934 of such title; and
specifies the number and types of firearms, ammunition, firearm accessories, and other proceeds, to the extent the information is available, that were recovered, seized, or forfeited as a result of the investigations and prosecutions referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3).
Sec. 4 Limitations on authorization of appropriations
To carry out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General of the United States not more than $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.