Revising Definitions of “Adjudicated as a Mental Defective” and “Committed to a Mental Institution”

ATF has listed a proposed rule to revise the definitions of “Adjudicated as a Mental Defective” and “Committed to a Mental Institution” in its upcoming regulation changes. Because those terms help determine who is federally prohibited from possessing firearms, the proposal is directly relevant to how federal law limits Second Amendment rights based on mental-health-related findings. The listing signals a potentially important administrative change, though the page is an upcoming-regulations notice rather than a final rule text.