AMA adopts policy to bolster firearm background checks

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Building on its extensive policy on firearm safety, the American Medical Association (AMA) called on states today to strengthen their reporting of all relevant information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to help prevent firearm injuries and deaths.

The new policy, adopted at the Interim meeting of the House of Delegates, supports federal grants to states to improve NICS reporting and encourages states to automate the reporting of relevant records to NICS to improve the quality and timeliness of the data.