AB1743 (2026): Requiring DOJ to Share Firearm Trace Data with Researchers

What the Bill Would Do

Assembly Bill 1743, authored by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, would amend Penal Code section 11108.3 to require law-enforcement agencies to report all available identifying and tracing information about recovered firearms (firearms illegally possessed, used in a crime, or suspected of having been used in a crime) to the California Department of Justice within seven calendar days ^[1]. The bill would also expand the categories of entities authorized to access DOJ-held firearm trace and dealer-inspection data to include local governments, community colleges, California State University (CSU) campuses, and University of California (UC) campuses, for the purpose of academic research and public-policy analysis.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the source of the underlying trace data. The Tiahrt Amendment (annual federal appropriations rider since 2003) has historically limited how ATF trace data may be disclosed publicly, but the amendment permits sharing with state and local law-enforcement agencies for criminal-investigation use and, since 2010, for "statistical aggregate data" reporting. AB 1743 would extend California's in-state distribution of that data to academic researchers under defined research protocols.

AB 1743 does not create new data-collection obligations on private parties or firearm owners. It tightens the reporting deadline imposed on law-enforcement agencies and expands the universe of in-state recipients of existing DOJ data ^[2].

Current Status

AB 1743 passed the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on March 10, 2026 by a 7-1 vote and was re-referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. As of May 2026, the bill was on the Appropriations docket and awaiting a suspense-file decision in the typical late-May timeframe for fiscal bills in the 2026 session. The Senate has not yet acted.

What to Watch

The key open questions involve data security and scope. Firearm trace data can include sensitive law-enforcement information about specific firearms recovered at crime scenes, and federal restrictions under the Tiahrt Amendment historically limited disclosure. The single dissenting Public Safety vote signals some concern about expanding institutional access. Watch for Appropriations amendments addressing (1) anonymization and aggregation requirements before release to academic institutions, (2) data-handling protocols and breach-notification obligations imposed on recipients, and (3) whether the seven-day reporting deadline is workable for smaller law-enforcement agencies. The bill's Senate path will also be a test of how the chamber views the privacy-versus-research tradeoff after the 2025 session's gun-data debates.