Assembly Bill 489 establishes a voluntary program allowing individuals in Wisconsin to prohibit themselves from purchasing handguns. The bill mandates the Department of Justice (DOJ) to create and maintain a database of individuals who opt for this prohibition. Individuals can request to be included in the database by submitting a form that includes their contact information and specifies the duration of the prohibition, which can be one year (irrevocable), five years (with the first year irrevocable), or twenty years (with the first year irrevocable). The DOJ is required to verify the request and will not remove an individual from the database until 48 hours after a removal request is submitted.

Additionally, the bill amends existing statutes to ensure that background checks conducted by licensed firearm dealers will indicate if an individual is in the database and thus prohibited from purchasing a handgun. The amendments include changes to the definitions and procedures related to firearms restrictions record searches, ensuring that the database is integrated into the existing framework for background checks. The bill also includes provisions for the confidentiality of the reasons for prohibition, ensuring that dealers receive only a unique nonapproval number without details on the prohibition's basis.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 175.35(1)(at), 175.35