II

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1973

To authorize funds to pay a portion of the startup costs of local handgun

exchange programs.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 24 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 22), 1994

Mr. BINGAMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To authorize funds to pay a portion of the startup costs

of local handgun exchange 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. STARTUP OR ‘‘SEED MONEY’’ FOR LOCAL HAND4 GUN EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

5 (a) FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION.—The Attorney Gen6 eral shall establish a program under which the Attorney

7 General will enter into agreements to contribute, and will

8 contribute, up to 50 percent of the funds needed to pay

9 startup costs of handgun exchange programs operated by

10 local governments or private entities in which merchandise
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•S 1973 IS

1 or services (including entertainment), tickets or certifi2 cates that may be used to acquire merchandise or services,

3 or other non-cash incentives are given in exchange for

4 handguns.

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

6 an agreement under subsection (a), the Attorney Gen7 eral—

8 (1) may agree to contribute to the startup costs

9 of a handgun exchange program an amount that is

10 not greater than the amount of State and local pub11 lic funds and private funds committed to the pro12 gram at the time of the agreement;

13 (2) shall require that the place at which ex14 changes are to be made allows anonymity for a per15 son who exchanges a handgun;

16 (3) shall require that all firearms that are

17 turned in to the program will be destroyed;

18 (4) shall require that the program agree to pro19 vide only merchandise or services (including enter20 tainment), tickets or certificates that may be used to

21 acquire merchandise, or other incentives other than

22 cash to persons who turn in firearms and that such

23 incentives be provided by donations from private en24 tities;
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1 (5) shall require that startup costs must pertain

2 to—

3 (A) informing the community of the pro4 gram;

5 (B) getting businesses involved in the pro6 gram; or

7 (C) securing a safe handgun exchange lo8 cation; and

9 (6)(A) may set such other qualifications, terms,

10 and conditions as may be appropriate to ensure that

11 the program is operated in an efficient and bona fide

12 manner consistent with the interests of law enforce13 ment; but

14 (B) may not prescribe the terms under which

15 the program will accept firearms in exchange for any

16 offered incentive.

17 (c) TERMINATION.—The program under subsection

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

19 (d) ALLOCATION.—

20 (1) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—Not more than 2 per21 cent of the total amount appropriated to carry out

22 this Act for a fiscal year may be allocated to the

23 making of contributions in any 1 State.

24 (2) PRIORITY.—Within each State—
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1 (A) the Attorney General shall give to pri2 ority to creating handgun exchange programs in

3 areas that are experiencing high rates of crime

4 in which handguns are used; but

5 (B) urban and rural areas shall each re6 ceive an appropriate amount of assistance.

7 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

8 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section,

9 out of the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund to be es10 tablished under section 1115 of title 31, United States

11 Code, as proposed to be added by section 1353 of the Vio12 lent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1993,

13 $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1994 and 1995.

14 (f) REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 1995, the

15 Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report assess16 ing the effect that operation of the handgun exchange pro17 grams funded under this Act has had in reducing the inci18 dence of crime in the jurisdictions in which the programs

19 were operated.

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