I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2025

To ban the manufacture of handguns that cannot be personalized, to provide

for a report to the Congress on the commercial feasibility of personalizing

firearms, and to provide for grants to improve firearm safety.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 7, 1999

Mr. PASCRELL (for himself, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. WEINER, Mr.

UNDERWOOD, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MEEHAN, and Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To ban the manufacture of handguns that cannot be personalized, to provide for a report to the Congress on the

commercial feasibility of personalizing firearms, and to

provide for grants to improve firearm safety.

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 ‘‘Childproof Handgun

5 Act of 1999’’.
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1 SEC. 2. BAN ON MANUFACTURE OF HANDGUNS THAT CAN2 NOT BE PERSONALIZED.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 922 of title 18, United

4 States Code, is amended by inserting after subsection (y)

5 the following:

6 ‘‘(z)(1) It shall be unlawful for a licensed manufac7 turer to manufacture a handgun that cannot be personal8 ized.

9 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any manufac10 ture for an individual acting under the authority of the

11 United States or any department or agency of the United

12 States, or of any State or any department, agency, or po13 litical subdivision of a State.’’.

14 (b) PERSONALIZED DEFINED.—Section 921(a) of

15 such title is amended by adding at the end the following:

16 ‘‘(35) The term ‘personalized’ means, with respect to

17 a handgun, that, integral to the handgun is a device or

18 feature that—

19 ‘‘(A) allows the handgun to be fired only by a

20 particular individual;

21 ‘‘(B) is not capable of being readily deactivated;

22 and

23 ‘‘(C) may allow the handgun to be personalized

24 to an additional individual.’’.

25 (c) PENALTY.—Section 924(a) of such title is amend26 ed by adding at the end the following:
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1 ‘‘(7) Whoever knowingly violates section 922(z) shall

2 be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned not more

3 than 18 months, or both. The fine otherwise applicable

4 under section 3571 shall not apply to an offense under

5 section 922(z).’’.

6 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

7 this section shall apply to conduct engaged in after the

8 5-year period that begins with the date of the enactment

9 of this Act if the report required by section 3 states that

10 the technology to personalize firearms (within the meaning

11 of section 921(a)(35) of title 18, United States Code) will

12 be commercially feasible by the end of such 5-year period.

13 SEC. 3. REPORT TO THE CONGRESS ON TECHNOLOGY TO

14 PERSONALIZE FIREARMS.

15 (a) STUDY.—The Director of the National Institute

16 of Justice (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Director’’)

17 shall conduct a study of the state of the technology in18 volved in personalizing firearms (within the meaning of

19 section 921(a)(35) of title 18, United States Code) and

20 determine whether such technology will be commercially

21 feasible within 5 years after the date of the enactment

22 of this Act.

23 (b) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—Within 3 years

24 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director

25 shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the
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1 House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judi2 ciary of the Senate a written report on the results of the

3 study required by subsection (a).

4 (c) COMMERCIAL FEASIBILITY.—In determining

5 whether the technology involved in personalizing firearms

6 is commercially feasible, the Director shall consider the

7 following factors:

8 (1) The reliability of the technology utilized in

9 personalized firearms.

10 (2) The difference between the manufacturer’s

11 suggested retail price for personalized firearms and

12 the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for equiva13 lent firearms that are not personalized.

14 (3) Such other criteria as the Director deems

15 appropriate.

16 SEC. 4. GRANTS TO IMPROVE GUN SAFETY.

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—

18 (1) GRANTS.—Subject to the availability of ap19 propriations, the Attorney General, acting through

20 the Director of the National Institute of Justice (re21 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Director’’), shall

22 make grants under this section for the purpose spec23 ified in paragraph (2) to applicants that submit an

24 application that meets requirements that the Attor-
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1 ney General, acting through the Director, shall es2 tablish.

3 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of a grant under

4 this section shall be to reduce violence caused by

5 firearms through the development and improvement

6 of personalized handgun technology, as described in

7 section 921(a)(35) of title 18, United States Code.

8 (3) CONSULTATION.—In making grants under

9 this section, the Attorney General, acting through

10 the Director, shall consult with appropriate employ11 ees of the National Institute of Justice with exper12 tise in firearms and weapons technology.

13 (b) PERIOD OF GRANT.—A grant under this section

14 shall be for a period of not to exceed 2 years.

15 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For

16 grants under this section, there are authorized to be ap17 propriated not more than $25,000,000 for each of fiscal

18 years 2000 through 2003.

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