VA to Stop Reporting Veterans with Fiduciaries to FBI Gun Database

The policy shift aims to restore firearm rights for veterans who require financial assistance.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced it will cease reporting veterans who utilize fiduciary programs to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This reverses a 30-year practice and has ignited both praise from gun rights advocates and concern from some Democratic lawmakers.

Why it matters

The change acknowledges that needing assistance with financial management does not automatically equate to being a danger to oneself or others. It aims to restore rights to those previously flagged, offering a pathway to regain firearm ownership.

The details

For decades, the VA automatically flagged veterans assigned a fiduciary - a third-party money manager overseeing disability payments and benefits - as potentially prohibited from owning firearms. Critics argued this constituted a violation of Second Amendment rights. The VA's new policy stipulates that a veteran's name will only be submitted to the NICS database if a court specifically determines they pose a danger to themselves or others.

  • The VA has announced the policy change in February 2026.
  • The VA is actively working to remove the names of veterans currently in the database solely due to their fiduciary status.

The players

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

The federal agency responsible for providing healthcare and other benefits to U.S. military veterans.

National Rifle Association (NRA)

A prominent gun rights advocacy organization in the United States.

Senator Richard Blumenthal

A Democratic U.S. Senator from Connecticut who has expressed concerns about the policy change.

Representative Mike Bost

The Republican chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee who is seeking legislation to codify the protections into law.

Pam Bondi

The Attorney General who has directed the Justice Department to review regulations to ensure veteran's gun rights are upheld.

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What they’re saying

“Losing your gun rights since you can't manage your checkbook is wrong, and ridiculous.”

— Val Finnell, Director of the Pennsylvania chapter of Gun Owners of America (newsy-today.com)

“Removing these restrictions could contribute to veteran suicide rates, noting that firearms are frequently used in such cases.”

— Senator Richard Blumenthal (newsy-today.com)

What’s next

The Justice Department, in partnership with the VA, is actively working to remove the names of veterans currently in the NICS database solely due to their fiduciary status.

The takeaway

This policy change directly impacts veterans who have been unfairly restricted from exercising their Second Amendment rights, acknowledging that needing assistance with financial management does not automatically equate to being a danger to oneself or others.