Details

• Sponsor - Millender-McDonald
• Proposed - January 4, 2005
• Congressional Record Link - HR165
• Amends - None.
• Amendments - None.
• Vote - None yet.
• Results - No change in law.

Status

January 4, 2005 - Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

March 2, 2005 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Synopsis

1. Defines a firearm 'locking device'.
2. Makes it unlawful for a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun without a locking device and specified warnings to any person other than a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer, with exceptions for law enforcement officers and governmental entities.
3. Sets forth civil penalties, including suspension or loss of license, for related violations.
4. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) prescribe such regulations governing the design, manufacture, and performance of trigger lock devices as are necessary to reduce or prevent the unintentional discharge of handguns, including setting a minimum safety standard to prevent children who have not attained age 18 from operating a handgun; and (2) in developing the standard, to consider such devices that are not detachable.
5. Authorizes the Attorney General to issue an order prohibiting the manufacture, sale, transfer, or delivery of a trigger lock device which the Attorney General finds has been designed, manufactured, transferred, or distributed in violation of this Act. Grants the Attorney General specified authority regarding: (1) recall, repair, replacement, or refund with respect to such devices; and (2) inspections.
6. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) assess a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation; and (2) revoke a Federal firearms license for a violation of this Act. Imposes criminal penalties for knowingly violating this Act.
7. Directs that a portion of firearms tax revenue be used for public education programs on the safe storage and use of firearms.

Analysis

This bill is legion with problems. We will only go into two.

First, handguns are many times used in life and death situations. In these situations the simplest tools available can be deployed the most quickly and most effectively. By loading handguns up with 'safety' devices that make them more complicated and heavy, you will delay response times and cost users their lives.

Second, the Attorney General becomes authorized to define what kind of guns are acceptable and what are not. Our Second Amendment rights would be interpreted and reinterpreted by a political appointee.

Check out what the NRA says on this bill here.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!