I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3285 

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

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 13, 2019 

Mr. RASKIN (for himself and Mrs. HAYES) 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 2017, 91 percent of firearm homicides in 

9 the United States in which firearm type was speci10 fied were committed with handguns. 


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1 (2) Research by top national experts shows that 

2 handgun purchaser licensing laws are associated 

3 with significant reductions in firearm-related homi4 cides. Research on the effects of Connecticut’s adop5 tion of a handgun purchaser licensing law in 1995 

6 was associated with a 40-percent reduction in the 

7 rate of firearm homicide and a 15-percent reduction 

8 in firearm suicide rates during the first 10 years the 

9 law was in place. Published research has shown that 

10 Missouri’s repeal of its handgun purchaser licensing 

11 law in 2007 was associated with an increase in fire12 arm homicide rates in the state of 27 percent and 

13 a 16-percent increase in suicides committed with 

14 firearms. 

15 (3) In States which have had effective handgun 

16 purchaser licensing laws for decades, such as Con17 necticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, 

18 the vast majority of guns traced to crimes originated 

19 in other States, which supports the need for hand20 gun purchaser licensing laws in every State. 

21 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

22 In this Act— 

23 (1) the terms ‘‘Attorney General’’, ‘‘State’’, and 

24 ‘‘handgun’’ have the meanings given those terms in 

25 section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code; and 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ has the meaning 

2 given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Deter3 mination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 

4 5304). 

5 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED FOR HANDGUN LI6 CENSING. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may award 

8 grants to States, units of local government, and Indian 

9 tribes for the development, implementation, and evalua10 tion of handgun purchaser licensing requirements. 

11 (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts ap12 propriated to carry out this Act and not later than 90 

13 days after such amounts are appropriated, the Attorney 

14 General shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eli15 gible applicants whose applications are approved under 

16 subsection (c) to assist such applicants in implementing 

17 and improving handgun purchaser licensing programs. 

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

19 under this Act, a State, unit of local government, or In20 dian tribe shall submit to the Attorney General an applica21 tion at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

22 information as the Attorney General may require, includ23 ing— 

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

25 has enacted to require a license for any purchase of 


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1 a handgun including a description of any other ex2 emptions to such law; and 

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

4 the grant to carry out or improve its handgun pur5 chaser licensing program. 

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

7 grants, an applicant shall have in effect handgun pur8 chaser licensing laws that include the following provisions: 

9 (1) An individual applying for a handgun li10 cense or permit must be not less than 21 years old 

11 and be a national or lawful permanent resident of 

12 the United States. 

13 (2) Such an individual must apply for the hand14 gun purchaser license or permit at a law enforce15 ment agency in the State in which they reside. 

16 (3) Such an individual must reapply for the 

17 handgun purchaser license or permit after a period 

18 not longer than 5 years. 

19 (4) Such an individual must submit to a back20 ground investigation, and a criminal history check, 

21 in connection with their application, as established 

22 by the State, which background investigation and 

23 criminal history check ensure, at a minimum, that 

24 such individual is not prohibited from possessing a 


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1 firearm under section 922(g) of title 18, United 

2 States Code. 

3 (5) Such an individual must submit fingerprints 

4 and photographs in connection with the application 

5 for the license or permit. 

6 (6) Any individual who is prohibited from pos7 sessing a firearm under section 922(g) of title 18, 

8 United States Code, may not receive a license or 

9 permit. 

10 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant under 

11 this Act shall use such grant to improve handgun pur12 chaser licensing programs of that grantee. 

13 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

15 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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