I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8631 

To establish competitive grant programs to incentivize the safe and responsible 

storage of firearms, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 20, 2020 

Mr. GOLDEN (for himself and Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish competitive grant programs to incentivize the 

safe and responsible storage of firearms, 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 ‘‘Responsible Ownership 

5 of Firearms Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 

8 (1) since 1999, more than 15,000 law enforce9 ment agencies have partnered with nonprofit organi10 zations to distribute more than 38 million firearm 


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1 safety education kits, which include firearm locking 

2 devices and informational materials, to firearm own3 ers in all 50 States and 5 U.S. territories; 

4 (2) in addition to providing for the secure stor5 age of countless firearms, these actions have raised 

6 awareness about safe and responsible firearm owner7 ship and the importance of storing firearms securely 

8 when not in use, which has proven effective in pre9 venting unauthorized access to firearms thereby re10 ducing and preventing accidents, theft, and misuse, 

11 including suicide; and 

12 (3) Federal investment in enhancing and ex13 panding these efforts is critical to educating a 

14 broader proportion of the public while keeping oper15 able firearms out of the hands of those who cannot 

16 be trusted to use them responsibly. 

17 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PRO18 GRAM. 

19 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this program is to re20 duce the rates of accidental death, theft, criminal misuse, 

21 and suicide through the safe and responsible storage of 

22 firearms when not in use. 

23 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Attorney General, 

24 through the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Office 

25 of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice shall 


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1 establish a competitive grant program to make funds 

2 available to nonprofit organizations to purchase firearm 

3 safety education kits for distribution to the public. 

4 (c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out this section, the Di5 rector of the Bureau of Justice Assistance shall make 

6 available grants to nonprofit organizations to partner with 

7 local, State, or tribal law enforcement agencies to: 

8 (1) purchase and distribute firearm locking de9 vices to firearm owners; and 

10 (2) develop and distribute educational materials 

11 on safe and responsible gun ownership, safe firearm 

12 storage and firearm safety in general. 

13 The educational materials shall not include information in14 tended to prevent, preclude, or dissuade the legal use, pos15 session, or ownership of firearms. 

16 (d) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

17 (1) An entity eligible to receive funding under 

18 this section shall be— 

19 (A) a nonprofit organization; and 

20 (B) identified as having the technical and 

21 logistical experience, and financial capabilities 

22 needed to carry out activities under subsection 

23 (c). 

24 (2) The Attorney General, through the Depart25 ment of Justice Office of Justice Programs, shall 


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1 prioritize for receipt of a grant under this Act eligi2 ble entities that have a history of effectively partici3 pating in activities set forth in subsection (c). 

4 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

6 $50,000,000, to be available until expended. 

7 SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

8 Nothing in this Act, or any amendment made by this 

9 Act, shall be construed to— 

10 (1) authorize the establishment, directly or indi11 rectly, of a national firearms registry; or 

12 (2) promote or require mandatory firearm stor13 age requirements. 

Æ 


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