HR 3740119th CongressIn Committee

Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025

Introduced: Jun 4, 2025

Civil Rights & Justice

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025, would repeal key protections of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) and expand the use of gun trace data in civil and administrative proceedings. Specifically, it repeals PLCAA Sections 2–4, which provide broad immunity to firearm manufacturers, distributors, and sellers from many civil lawsuits. At the same time, the bill makes the Firearms Trace System (FTS) data maintained by the ATF’s National Trace Center fully discoverable and admissible in civil actions and administrative proceedings in any state or federal court. In short, victims or others could more easily obtain and rely on gun trace information to pursue civil remedies against gun makers, sellers, or distributors.

Key Points

1Repeals PLCAA protections: Sections 2–4 of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act are repealed, removing certain federal civil liability shields for firearm manufacturers, distributors, and sellers.
2Gun trace data no longer immune: The Firearms Trace System data held by the ATF National Trace Center would not be immune from legal process and could be subpoenaed, discovered, admitted as evidence, and used in civil or administrative proceedings.
3Broad evidentiary use: Trace data could be used, relied upon, or disclosed “on the same basis as other information” in state or federal courts and in administrative actions.
4Applies to all civil/administrative proceedings: The changes apply across the U.S. in both state and federal courts, as well as administrative proceedings (not criminal cases).
5Short title and context: The act is titled the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2025, signaling a shift toward expanding remedies for gun-violence victims by weakening industry protections.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Victims of gun violence and their families pursuing civil remedies (e.g., lawsuits seeking damages or accountability) by enabling access to trace data as part of evidence and discovery.Secondary group/area affected- Firearm manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who could face more civil litigation and greater exposure of internal data and supply-chain information.Additional impacts- Courts and legal practitioners: Increased availability of ATF trace data in civil litigation could influence case strategy, discovery timelines, and evidentiary standards.- Law enforcement and regulatory agencies (ATF): Potential changes in how trace data is used in civil contexts; may affect data handling, privacy, and disclosure practices.- Privacy and data-use considerations: Expanded disclosure of trace information could raise concerns about personal data and the potential for misuse unless governed by existing or new privacy safeguards within the civil process.The bill does not provide funding or new procedures for creating or expanding the FT S data; it focuses on making existing trace data more accessible in lawsuits.The exact interplay with existing PLCAA exceptions is not detailed in the provided text, but the bill clearly removes the broad immunity shield in many civil scenarios.

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