Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act
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Directs the Attorney General to assist firearm manufacturers and importers in complying with these requirements by: (1) acquiring, installing, and upgrading ballistics equipment and bullet and cartridge casing recovery equipment; (2) hiring or designating sufficient personnel to develop and maintain a ballistics database; (3) providing education about the role of ballistics; and (4) providing for the coordination among law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the firearm industry to curb firearm-related crime and illegal firearm trafficking.
Requires the Attorney General to: (1) establish a computer system through which State and local law enforcement agencies can promptly access ballistics records; (2) require training for all ballistics examiners; (3) conduct mandatory ballistics testing of all firearms obtained by or in the possession of the Department of Justice; and (4) report to Congress on the implementation of this Act.
Prohibits the use of ballistics information of individual guns for prosecutorial purposes unless officials have a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that ballistics information would assist in the investigation.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 776: Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-776/
"H.R. 776: Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-776/.
H.R. 776, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-776/.
[H.R. 776: Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-776/)