I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3805

To authorize matching funds for State and local firearm buy-back programs.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 3, 1994

Mr. WELDON (for himself and Mr. HOLDEN) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To authorize matching funds for State and local firearm

buy-back programs.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Firearm Buy5 Back Initiative Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. MATCHING FUNDS FOR STATE AND LOCAL FIRE7 ARM BUY-BACK PROGRAMS.

8 (a) FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION.—The Attorney Gen9 eral shall establish a program under which the Attorney

10 General will enter into agreements to contribute, and will

11 contribute, up to 50 percent of the funds needed to provide
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1 merchandise, certificates that may be used to acquire mer2 chandise or services, or other non-cash incentives to indi3 viduals to turn in firearms to firearm buy-back programs

4 operated by State or local governments or private entities

5 (or to individuals who provide information to local law en6 forcement agencies that leads to the arrest and conviction

7 of an individual or individuals who have committed a crime

8 with the use of a firearm).

9 (b) QUALIFICATIONS, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS.—In

10 an agreement under subsection (a), the Attorney Gen11 eral—

12 (1) may agree to contribute to a firearm buy13 back program an amount that is not greater than

14 the amount of State and local public funds and pri15 vate funds committed to the program at the time of

16 the agreement;

17 (2) shall require that all firearms that are

18 turned in to the program will be destroyed;

19 (3) shall require that the program agree to pro20 vide only merchandise, certificates that may be used

21 to acquire merchandise or services, or other incen22 tives other than cash to individuals who turn in fire23 arms; and

24 (4)(A) may set such other qualifications, terms,

25 and conditions as may be appropriate to ensure that
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1 the program is operated in an efficient and bona fide

2 manner consistent with the interests of law enforce3 ment; but

4 (B) may not prescribe the terms under which

5 the program will accept firearms in exchange for any

6 offered incentive.

7 (c) TERMINATION.—The program under subsection

8 (a) shall terminate on September 30, 1995.

9 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

10 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section,

11 out of the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund to be es12 tablished under section 1115 of title 31, United States

13 Code, as added by section 1353 of the Violent Crime Con14 trol and Law Enforcement Act of 1993, $15,000,000 for

15 each of fiscal years 1994 and 1995.

16 (e) REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 1995, the

17 Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report assess18 ing the effect that operation of the firearm buy-back pro19 grams funded under this Act has had in reducing the inci20 dence of crime in the jurisdictions in which the programs

21 were operated.

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