Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

Named after James Brady. the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the Brady Bill) is a piece of legislation passed by the US Congress and signed into law by US President Bill Clinton on November 30, 1993 . The act requires a five-day waiting period when purchasing a handgun and also established a national criminal background checking system for use by firearms dealers. According to this act, arms dealers are required to verify the identity of a customer and receive authorization from the background checking system, prior to the sale of a handgun.

Prior to its adoption, this legislation was widely publicized as the Brady Bill.