I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2732 

To provide for a grant program for handgun licensing programs, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2015 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Ms. ESTY, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, and Ms. 

DELAURO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To provide for a grant program for handgun licensing 

programs, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Handgun Purchaser 

5 Licensing Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) In 2013, almost 90 percent of the nearly 

9 9,000 firearm homicides in the United States oc10 curred with a handgun. 


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1 (2) Recently published research by top national 

2 experts, notably on Missouri and Connecticut hand3 gun purchaser licensing laws, have estimated that 

4 Missouri’s repeal of its handgun purchaser licensing 

5 law led to a 25 percent increase in firearm homicide 

6 rates while Connecticut’s adoption of its handgun 

7 purchaser licensing law led to a 40 percent decrease 

8 in firearm homicide rates. 

9 (3) In States which have had effective handgun 

10 purchaser licensing laws for decades, such as Con11 necticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, 

12 the vast majority of guns traced to crimes originated 

13 in other States, which supports the need for hand14 gun purchaser licensing laws in every state. 

15 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act, the terms ‘‘Attorney General’’ and 

17 ‘‘handgun’’ have the meanings given those terms in section 

18 921(a) of title 18, United States Code. 

19 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED FOR HANDGUN LI20 CENSING. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is author22 ized to award grants to States, units of local government, 

23 and Indian tribes for the development, implementation, 

24 and evaluation of handgun purchaser licensing require25 ments. 


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1 (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts ap2 propriated to carry out this Act and not later than 90 

3 days after such amounts are appropriated, the Attorney 

4 General shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eli5 gible applicants whose applications are approved under 

6 subsection (c) to assist such applicants in implementing 

7 and improving handgun purchaser licensing programs. 

8 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

9 under this Act, a State, unit of local government, or In10 dian tribe shall submit to the Attorney General an applica11 tion at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

12 information as the Attorney General may require, includ13 ing— 

14 (1) a description of the law that the applicant 

15 has enacted to require a license for any purchase of 

16 a handgun including a description of any other ex17 emptions to such law; and 

18 (2) a description of how the applicant will use 

19 the grant to carry out or improve its handgun pur20 chaser licensing program. 

21 (d) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for 

22 grants, an applicant must have in effect handgun pur23 chaser licensing laws that include the following provisions: 

24 (1) An individual applying for a handgun li25 cense or permit must be at least 21 years old and 


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1 be a national or lawful permanent resident of the 

2 United States. 

3 (2) Such an individual must apply for the hand4 gun purchaser license or permit at a law enforce5 ment agency in the State in which they reside. 

6 (3) Such an individual must reapply for the 

7 handgun purchaser license or permit after a period 

8 no longer than five years. 

9 (4) Such an individual must submit to a back10 ground investigation, and a criminal history check, 

11 in connection with their application, as established 

12 by the State. 

13 (5) Such an individual must submit fingerprints 

14 and photographs in connection with the application 

15 for the license or permit. 

16 (6) Such an individual must provide proof that 

17 the individual is legally present and lawfully resides 

18 in the United States, including a birth certificate, or 

19 valid passport. A lawful permanent resident must 

20 provide his or her alien registration number and 90- 

21 day proof of residency. A naturalized citizen must 

22 provide proof of citizenship. 

23 (7) Any individual who is prohibited from pos24 sessing a firearm under section 922(g) of title 18, 


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1 United States Code, may not receive a license or 

2 permit. 

3 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—A grantee under this Act shall 

4 use such grant to improve handgun purchaser licensing 

5 programs of that grantee. 

6 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

8 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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