The AIM Act of 2023 gives the federal government's gun enforcement agency (the ATF) more power to regulate firearms and gun dealers. Right now, there are several rules that limit what the ATF can do—this bill removes most of those restrictions.

Here's what changes: The ATF would be able to collect and use data about where guns come from and where they go (called "tracing data"), which helps track illegal firearms. Gun dealers would have to keep better records and conduct physical inventories of their stock. The ATF could also electronically access records from gun dealers who go out of business, making it easier to investigate illegal gun sales. Additionally, the bill makes it easier for the ATF to deny gun dealer licenses to people who aren't actually running a legitimate business, and to reject imports of certain types of firearms.

The bill also changes how gun dealers can challenge the government if their license is denied or taken away. Currently, they can appeal in court with a very high standard of review; this bill makes that standard less strict, meaning the government's decision would be harder to overturn in court. Overall, this bill is designed to give federal authorities stronger tools to enforce gun laws and reduce illegal firearms trafficking, though gun rights advocates argue it gives the government too much power over the firearms industry.

AIM Act of 2023

Van Hollen, Chris

ATF Improvement and Modernization Act of 2023 or the AIM Act of 2023 This bill removes limitations on the authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to conduct activities related to the administration of federal firearms laws. Specifically, the bill removes provisions that <ul> <li>limit the use of firearms tracing data; </li> <li>prohibit consolidating or centralizing records maintained by federal firearm licensees, or FFLs (e.g., gun dealers); </li> <li>prohibit imposing a requirement that gun dealers conduct a physical inventory; </li> <li>require national instant criminal background check records to be destroyed within 24 hours; </li> <li>limit the disclosure of data under the Freedom of Information Act; </li> <li> prohibit the ATF from altering the definition of or denying certain import applications for a curio or relic firearm; </li> <li> prohibit the denial of a federal firearms license due to lack of business activity; </li> <li> prohibit transferring the ATF's functions, missions, or activities to other agencies or departments; </li> <li> prohibit the electronic retrieval of information gathered from firearm transaction records of FFLs that go out of business; and </li> <li> prohibit the ATF from denying an application to import certain shotguns. </li> </ul> Additionally, the bill <ul> <li>raises the liability standard for denying or revoking a federal firearms license from a willful violation to a knowing violation of federal firearms laws or regulations, and </li> <li>removes the de novo standard of judicial review for appealing the denial or revocation of a federal firearms license. </li> </ul>