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This bill would contains several provisions aimed at countering the threat of terrorism by improving government preparedness, revoking terror suspects’ passports, and also creating a process to prevent them from purchasing a gun.

The Dept. of Justice (DOJ) would be notified if a person who was investigated as a known or suspected terrorist in the last five years tries to buy a gun and could delay the purchase for up to three business days while they file an emergency petition in court to block the sale. The petition would also allow the government to show probable cause that the person will commit an act of terrorism in order to prevent the sale or transfer from occurring.

The person in question would have to receive an actual notice of the hearing and be given the opportunity to participate with legal representation. One of two things can happen once the hearing occurs:

The petition would be granted if the court finds probable cause to believe the weapon will be used in an act of terror by the purchaser, and law enforcement could arrest the would-be buyer;
If the petition is denied, the government would be responsible for covering all reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees incurred by the person in question.

People who are members of foreign terror groups or have aided, abetted, or provided material support to such an organization would have their U.S. passport revoked.

There would also be a new office created within the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) known as the Office for Partnerships to Prevent Terrorism that would specifically prioritize countering “radical Islamist terrorism” and the radicalization of would-be terrorists in the U.S.

Additionally, this bill would require a nationwide exercise to assess the threat of individuals traveling from the U.S. to join a terror group or American citizens and foreign nationals entering the U.S. from abroad to commit acts of terror.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would be required each year to go through its Terrorist Screening Database and determine if each person’s inclusion in the database is appropriate.

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Do Terror Suspects Need to be Blocked From Buying a Gun Until They’re Cleared by a Court?