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Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007.

Public Law 115-8 · H.J.Res. 40 · 115th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Feb 28, 2017 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Major law

Sponsor: Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX-3)

Cosponsors (120): Rep. Ralph Abraham,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 235 yea, 180 nay235–180
  • SenateRecorded vote: 57 yea, 43 nay57–43
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This joint resolution nullifies the “Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007” rule finalized by the Social Security Administration on December 19, 2016. The rule implements a plan to provide to the National Instant Criminal History Background Check System the name of an individual who meets certain criteria, including that benefit payments are made through a representative payee because the individual is determined to be mentally incapable of managing them. (Current law prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and purchase or possession by a person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective.)

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 235 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

235 yea180 nay17 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(6)

  • Rep. Sanford BishopD-GA-2
  • Rep. Timothy WalzD-MN-1
  • Rep. Ron KindD-WI-3
  • Rep. Henry CuellarD-TX-28
  • Rep. Tom O’HalleranD-AZ-1
  • Rep. Kyrsten SinemaD-AZ-9

Republicans who voted yea(229)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 76 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 5225Related bill

    Strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Act of 2018

  • H.Res. 71Procedurally-related

    Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 41) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission re…

  • S.J.Res. 14Identical bill

    A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement A…

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Feb 28, 2017Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. Feb 16, 2017FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  3. Feb 15, 2017FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  4. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 57 - 43. Record Vote Number: 66.Senate roll call 66
  5. FloorFloor · Considered by Senate.
  6. Feb 14, 2017FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by motion.
  7. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
  8. Feb 2, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by recorded vote: 235 - 180 (Roll no. 77).House roll call 77
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.J. Res. 40, the Chair put the question on passage and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Conyers demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on passage until a time to be ann…
  12. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  13. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.J. Res. 40.
  14. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 41 and H.J. Res. 40. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on both H.J.Res. 40 and H.J.Res. 41. All points of order against consideration are waived for both joint resolutions.
  15. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 71.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  17. Feb 1, 2017FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 71 passed House.
  18. Jan 30, 2017FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 71 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 41 and H.J. Res. 40. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on both H.J.Res. 40 and H.J.Res. 41. All points of order against consideration are waived for both jo…
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.