US SB1652

Authorizes $20 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030 to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), requiring federal agencies to prioritize submitting records of prohibited persons and mandating annual reports to Congress on compliance

Establishes the "Nationwide Project Exile Expansion" program with $15 million annually to increase federal prosecution of gun crimes in the 15 jurisdictions with highest homicide rates, plus 3 Tribal jurisdictions, and creates a Felon and Fugitive Firearm Task Force with up to $10 million annually

Redefines mental health disqualifications for firearm possession, replacing terms like "mental defective" with "mentally incompetent" and requiring judicial findings of dangerousness after hearings with notice and counsel before VA beneficiaries can be reported to NICS

Increases penalties for lying on firearm purchase forms from 5 to 10 years imprisonment, and reduces Byrne JAG funding by 5-10% for states failing to submit 90% of mental health records to NICS

Modernizes interstate firearm commerce by allowing licensed dealers to sell any firearm (not just rifles/shotguns) to residents of other states, expands protections for transporting firearms across state lines, and establishes regional firearms trafficking task forces in Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, and Los Angeles ATF field divisions