Rep. Daryl Metcalfe
12th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(724) 772-3110
(717) 783-1707
Contact: House Republican Communications
(717) 787-3993
www.pahousegop.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FBI Audit Vindicates Metcalfe’s Call for End to Illegal State Gun Registry

Lawmaker reapplies pressure on Pennsylvania State Police to comply with the law

HARRISBURG—Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12) has gained a powerful and credible ally in his ongoing political battle to reinstate law-abiding Pennsylvanians’ constitutional rights of privacy and gun ownership by eliminating the State Police’s illegal registry of firearms.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) recently completed audit of the Pennsylvania Instant C heck System (PICS) reveals that the Pennsylvania State Police’s Record of Sale Database is in violation of federal legislation and, as Metcalfe has maintained for the last year, the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.

In a letter to PICS administrators, FBI officials wrote, "This practice must cease immediately."

"The FBI has concluded what I’ve been telling the State Police for more than a year," Metcalfe said.

In light of the FBI’s findings, the Butler County lawmaker has sent a letter to the State Police renewing his call for an end to the illegal registry of firearms.

"I once again call upon the State Police to comply with the law and put an end to this registry of firearms ownership," Metcalfe wrote. "If adherence to the rule of law does not provide sufficient motive to eradicate the record of sale database, then maybe the loss of point of contact status and other associated penalties will prove a force for change.

"I would also agree with the FBI that the current PICS practice of holding delayed responses for up to 15 days and issuing automatic denials is problematic and serves to impermissibly infringe on constitutional rights (both state and federal). While I have not addressed this issue before, I think the FBI has made a valid suggestion that this practice should also be halted."

Prior to 1995, the State Police were allowed to retain the handgun application/record of sale information. Through various amendments to the Uniform Firearms Act from 1995 through 1997, however, the General Assembly enacted law that prohibited that practice. State law now requires the application/record of sale to be destroyed after 72 hours and that no information on the application/record of sale be retained in any form.