Skip to main content
S 42 116th Congress Senate Crime and Law Enforcement Crime prevention Criminal justice information and records Firearms and explosives Licensing and registrations

Background Check Expansion Act

Introduced: January 8, 2019 Introduced by: Murphy, Christopher Democratic · Connecticut See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 8, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jan 8, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Background Check Expansion Act

This bill establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals).

Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.

The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.

What's happening now January 8, 2019

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Related & companion bills 7
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 42: Background Check Expansion Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-42/
MLA
"S. 42: Background Check Expansion Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-42/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 42, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-42/.
Markdown link
[S. 42: Background Check Expansion Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-42/)
Report a problem