Law Enforcement Protection and Privacy Act of 2025

The Law Enforcement Protection and Privacy Act of 2025 aims to prevent the public disclosure of sensitive firearm trace data maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It proposes to amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to specifically exempt the contents of the Firearm Trace System database from public records requests. This would ensure that information regarding the history and movement of firearms used in crimes remains restricted to law enforcement and prosecutorial use during active investigations.

To enforce these restrictions, the bill would establish a system of fines for state, local, tribal, or foreign agencies that unlawfully release protected trace data. Fines would start at $10,000 for a first offense and increase to $25,000 for subsequent violations. Additionally, agencies that repeatedly violate these rules could lose access to the National Tracing Center's database for one year. The proposal aims to prevent what supporters describe as "name-and-shame" campaigns against law-abiding firearm dealers by third-party groups using leaked data.