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H.R. 5874

U.S. House•In House Committee

Summary

H.R. 5874, the Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act, was introduced in the House on Oct 31, 2025 by Rep. Ben Cline (R) with 73 co-sponsors. It was referred to Judiciary, and last saw action on Oct 31, 2025: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Record

Text

H.R. 5874 has 73 co-sponsors.

hb5874/introduced-in-house.txt
119 HR 5874 IH: Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-10-31
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I
 119th CONGRESS  1st Session
 H. R. 5874
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 October 31, 2025
  Mr. Cline  (for himself,  Mr. Carter of Georgia ,  Mr. Hunt ,  Mr. Moore of Alabama ,  Ms. Hageman ,  Mr. Harris of North Carolina ,  Mr. Collins ,  Mr. McCormick ,  Mr. Cloud ,  Mr. Weber of Texas ,  Mr. Burlison ,  Ms. Boebert ,  Mr. DesJarlais ,  Mr. Webster of Florida ,  Mr. Gooden ,  Ms. Mace ,  Mr. Fitzgerald ,  Mr. Feenstra ,  Mr. Jackson of Texas ,  Mr. Higgins of Louisiana ,  Mr. Downing ,  Mr. Fine , and  Mr. Moore of West Virginia ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on the Judiciary , and in addition to the Committee on  Foreign Affairs , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
 A BILL
To ensure that certain operations, functions, and services of the Federal Government relating to enforcement of firearms laws and firearm export licensing continue during a lapse in appropriations.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act  .
2.
Continuation of certain firearm-related operations during Government shutdowns
(a)
In general
The operations, functions, and services described in subsection (b) shall be deemed to relate to an emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property for purposes of section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, and the employees carrying out those operations, functions, and services shall be deemed to be excepted employees, as defined in section 1341(c) of that title.
(b)
Operations, functions, and services
The operations, functions, and services described in this subsection are the operations, functions, and services of—
(1)
the National Instant Criminal Background Check System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the processing of background checks in support of the operations of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
(2)
the Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
(3)
the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses; and
(4)
the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls of the Department of State relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-10-31
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Oct 31, 2025

hb5874/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (10/31/2025)

Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act

This bill requires various federal agencies to continue certain operations, functions, and services related to firearms during a government shutdown.

The bill applies to

  • the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, including the processing of background checks in support of the operations of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF);
  • the ATF's Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services;
  • the activities of the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses; and
  • the activities of the Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses.

Under the bill, (1) these operations, functions, and services are deemed to relate to an emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property; and (2) employees carrying out the operations, functions, and services are deemed to be excepted employees. (Under an exception in the Antideficiency Act, an employee whose duties involve the safety of human life or the protection of property may be required to work during a government shutdown. Employees who are required to work during a government shutdown because they fall under this or other exceptions are known as excepted employees.)

Sponsors

Rep. Ben Cline (R) sponsors H.R. 5874, and 73 members have co-sponsored it, 22 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 5874 went before 2 committees: Foreign Affairs and Judiciary.

Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Referred To · Oct 31, 2025 · 658 Bills
Judiciary
Judiciary
Referred To · Oct 31, 2025 · 2,181 Bills

Actions

H.R. 5874 has taken 2 actions since Oct 31, 2025.

ChamberAction
Oct 31, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Oct 31, 2025
House
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.Judiciary Committee

Votes

H.R. 5874 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 5874.

Titles

H.R. 5874 goes by 3 titles, 1 of them short titles.

  • Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act — Display Title
  • Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To ensure that certain operations, functions, and services of the Federal Government relating to enforcement of firearms laws and firearm export licensing continue during a lapse in appropriations. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

4 clients hired 4 firms and 19 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 5874 in 12 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Firearms/Guns/Ammunition, Budget/Appropriations, Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities, Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice, Natural Resources, Veterans.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION—District of Columbia15—
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTS—Colorado13—
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA—Virginia13—
GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA INC—Virginia11—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION15—
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTS13—
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA13—
GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, INC.11—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
DIANE CIHOTA CASHOUR115
JOSEPH BLISS115
LAWRENCE KEANE115
PATRICK ROTHWELL115
SEAN SMITH115
ANGELO VELTRI113
CHRISTOPHER ZEALAND113
DUDLEY BROWN113
DUSTIN CURTIS113
GORDON SPEED113
HADAN HATCH113
JOHN COMMERFORD113
TIMOTHY CHURCHILL113
WILLIAM LANE113
AIDAN JOHNSTON111
BENJAMIN SANDERSON111
ERICH PRATT111
JEAN PICHARDO111
JOHN VELLECO111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATIONNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION2026 first_quarter$2.3M1st Quarter - Amendme…
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATIONNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION2026 first_quarter$2.3M1st Quarter - Report
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATIONNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION2026 second_quarter$2M2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATIONNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION2025 fourth_quarter$1.6M4th Quarter - Amendme…
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATIONNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION2025 fourth_quarter$1.6M4th Quarter - Report
GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA INCGUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, INC.2025 fourth_quarter$545.7K4th Quarter - Report
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICANATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA2026 second_quarter$540K2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICANATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA2026 first_quarter$520K1st Quarter - Report
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICANATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA2025 fourth_quarter$450K4th Quarter - Report
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTSNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTS2026 second_quarter$293.3K2nd Quarter - Report
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTSNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTS2026 first_quarter$289.9K1st Quarter - Report
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTSNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTS2025 fourth_quarter$136.3K4th Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 5874 under Crime and Law Enforcement, one of its 31 policy areas.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 5874’s is Crime and Law Enforcement.

hr5874/policy-areas.txt
Crime and Law EnforcementAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 5874, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 182 (Friday, October 31, 2025)][House][Pages H4566-H4567]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. CLINE:H.R. 5874.[[Page H4567]]Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com