Tracey Mann

Reining In Federal Licensing Enforcement Act of 2025 or the RIFLE Act of 2025

This bill revises the federal statutory framework governing the licensing, inspection, and enforcement of federally licensed dealers, importers, and manufacturers of firearms (i.e., federal firearms licensees, or FFLs) by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

With respect to an application for a license, this bill requires the ATF to make a preliminary determination, provide notice of a proposed denial, and allow the applicant to request a hearing.

With respect to inspections, this bill requires the ATF to establish standards for how it inspects, examines, or investigates FFLs for possible violations.

With respect to the enforcement of violations, this bill establishes a new framework. The new framework establishes a presumption that a violation by an FFL is not willful and requires the ATF to provide notice of and work with an FFL to rectify a violation.

In the case of a violation that is willful, the ATF has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the violation was committed willfully. The term willfully means that the person had actual knowledge of a legal duty, understood the obligation imposed by the legal duty, and deliberately disregarded the legal duty. The ATF may pursue revocation of an FFL’s license, but only after (1) providing notice and an opportunity to comply; and (2) finding that a lesser administrative action (e.g., warning, warning letter, or warning conference) is not likely to lead to future compliance.

This bill removes the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), including each of its distinct population segments, from the threatened and endangered species lists that are published under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Further, the bill prohibits the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from designating such species as threatened or endangered, and thus, protecting such species under such act.

Fair Assistance and Impartial Treatment of Help In Small Business Act

This bill implements a proposed rule by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that allows certain faith-based organizations to access business loan and disaster assistance programs.

The programs include the Intermediary Lending Program (ILP), Business Loan programs (7(a), microloan, and 504 programs), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) program, and Immediate Disaster Assistance Program (IDAP).

Current SBA regulations generally prohibit access to these programs if an organization is principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling, or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs.

Recent Supreme Court opinions have found it unconstitutional to deny an otherwise qualified recipient access to a public benefit based solely on the organization's religious character (e.g., Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, 582 U.S. 449 (2017)).