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S. 436: Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011

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S. 436: Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-03-02 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Committee on the Judiciary Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-942.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-03-02 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Committee on the Judiciary Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-942. 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

Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011

Plain summary

Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 - Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NICS Act) to increase the amount of a state's allocation under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program that the Attorney General shall withhold to: (1) 15% in FY2013-FY2017 if the state provides less than 75% of the records required to be provided under the NICS Act's requirements regarding making data electronically available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and (2) 25% in FY2018 and thereafter if the state provides less than 90% of the records required. Authorizes the Attorney General to reduce the percentage of the amount withheld if a state provides substantial evidence that it is making a reasonable effort to comply. Requires any withheld funds to be transferred to the appropriations account for state and local law enforcement assistance, Office of Justice Programs, of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Expresses the sense of Congress that any funds transferred should be used to carry out activities described in the NICS Act. Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require each federal agency to submit to the Attorney General a semiannual written certification indicating whether it has provided the pertinent information in any record in its possession identifying persons prohibited from purchasing or receiving firearms or ammunition. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each college, university, or postsecondary institution that receives federal funds under such Act or financial assistance under any federal program to develop and implement a mental health assessment plan for assessing, reporting, and referring students who pose a safety risk to themselves or others, informing their families, and addressing such risks. Amends the federal criminal code to set forth criteria for: (1) drawing an inference that a person is an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and (2) defining a person as "addicted to any controlled substance." Extends Brady Act background check procedures to unlicensed transferors and transferees of firearms. Specifies exceptions.

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

Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] reported raising $1.2 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 (1)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-s436 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112