H.R. 1642: Trafficking Reduction And Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-04-15 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-04-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Trafficking Reduction And Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act

Plain summary

Trafficking Reduction and Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act - Directs the Attorney General to require each firearm manufactured in the United States to be marked with a serial number that is located inside the barrel of the firearm or that is visible only in infrared light, in addition to the serial number marking otherwise required. Amends the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 to repeal provisions prohibiting the use of appropriated funds: (1) to implement a national instant criminal background check system that does not require the destruction of identifying information within 24 hours after the system determines and advises a federal firearms licensee that a person's possession or receipt of a firearm would not violate federal or state law, or (2) to promulgate or implement any rule requiring a physical inventory of a licensed firearms dealer.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

Trafficking Reduction And Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Judy Chu (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] reported raising $998,074 (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)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr1642.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr1642 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112