The Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing to announce an expansion of background checks based on executive orders president Obama issued in January 2013.

According to The Hill, the expansion consists of “three changes to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).”

Two of the changes “will grant tribal access to NICS and authorize law enforcement agencies to use the system to run full background system checks before returning guns that have been seized or confiscated during the course of investigations.”

The third change “involves consolidated, electronic storage of information on gun purchases that have been denied via the NICS system.”

Obama’s January 2013 executive orders were issued in response to Adam Lanza’s heinous crime at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.