Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Trump seeks to flip 'Rage' narrative; Dems block COVID-19 bill MORE is hitting back at an Obama administration policy on gun ownership that he says is negatively impacting veterans and seniors.

The Kentucky Republican, who is running for reelection, has introduced legislation that would require a court to declare someone "mentally incompetent" before an agency can report him or her to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

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“The Obama administration is at it again, and this time they are unilaterally stripping gun rights from our nation’s veterans and seniors," Paul said in a statement. "The Protecting Gun Rights and Due Process Act will provide necessary protection for gun-owning Americans, and ultimately ensure that the Second Amendment is not infringed upon."

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been reporting veterans to the NICS as "mentally defective" since at least 2012 if they use a fiduciary to manage their VA benefits, according to a fact sheet from Paul's office.

Paul's legislation would require the VA to review and remove any veterans from the FBI's list within 90 days if they have not been declared "mentally incompetent" by a court or judicial officer.

Paul isn't the first lawmaker to voice concern over the practice.

A department spokesman told The Hill earlier this year that it is legally required to report veterans who are "mentally incompetent," but the department does not decide whether to prohibit them from owning guns.

Paul's legislation would also block the Social Security Administration (SSA) from reporting someone to the NICS unless they've been declared incompetent by a court or judicial officer.

Any individual who had been reported to the NICS, but who does not meet the higher standard set under Paul's legislation, would be removed from the list and allowed to own a firearm.

Paul made the move after the White House announced earlier this year that the SSA "will begin the rulemaking process to include information in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm for mental health reasons."

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also published a final rule in January making it easier to report mentally ill patients to the background check system.

Paul's legislation has gotten support from the National Association of Gun Rights, which said the proposal "will do much to block President Obama’s ability to strip the Second Amendment rights from law-abiding gun owners, veterans, and senior citizens without due process."