Child Handgun Safety Act

To require that all handguns manufactured, sold in, or imported into, the United States incorporate technology that precludes the average five year old child from operating the handgun when it is ready to fire. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Child Handgun Safety Act 2. Consumer product safety standard for child-resistant handguns (a) Establishment of standard Notwithstanding section 3(a)(5)(E) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2052(a)(5)(E)), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the National Institute of Justice, shall promulgate a consumer product safety standard under section 7(a) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 2056(a) (b) Standard Requirements (1) In general The standard established under subsection (a) shall require that— (A) effective 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, any handgun manufactured in the United States must be child-resistant and include a mechanism such as one described in paragraph (2) that effectively precludes an average five year old child from operating the handgun when it is ready to fire; and (B) effective 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, any handgun sold, offered for sale, traded, transferred, shipped, leased, or distributed in the United States must be— (i) child-resistant, if manufactured on or after the effective date in subparagraph (A); or (ii) a retrofitted child-resistant handgun, if manufactured before the effective date in paragraph (1). (2) Mechanisms described The mechanisms described in paragraph (1)(A) include— (A) raising trigger resistance to at least a ten-pound pull; (B) altering the firing mechanism so that an average five year old child’s hands are too small to operate the handgun; or (C) requiring a series of multiple motions in order to fire the handgun. (c) Exemptions (1) Antique firearms The standard established under this section shall not require retrofitting of antique firearms. (2) Military firearms The standard established under this section shall not apply to a firearm that is owned by the Department of Defense. (d) Cost of retrofitting (1) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), the cost of retrofitting a handgun as required under subsection (b) shall be borne by the manufacturer of the handgun if the manufacturer is operational at the time the retrofit is required. (2) Reimbursement Section 524(c) of title 28, United States Code, is amended— (A) in subparagraph (H), by striking ; and (B) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following: (J) payments to reimburse manufacturers of handguns for the costs of retrofitting handguns as required by section 201(b)(2)(B) of the Child Handgun Safety Act . 3. Definitions In this title: (1) Handgun and antique firearm The terms handgun antique firearm section 921 (2) child-resistant handgun The term child-resistant handgun (A) prevents a child from being able to fire the handgun; and (B) was manufactured in such a manner that the firing restriction described in subparagraph (A)— (i) is incorporated into the design of the handgun; and (ii) cannot be readily removed or deactivated. (3) Retrofitted personalized handgun The term retrofitted child-resistant handgun (A) precludes an average five year old child from operating the handgun when it is ready to fire; and (B) attaches to the handgun in a manner such that the device cannot be readily removed or deactivated.

Summary: Child Handgun Safety Act - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to promulgate a consumer product safety standard for handguns that requires that: (1) any handgun manufactured in the United States must be child-resistant and include a mechanism that effectively precludes an average five-year old child from operating it when it is ready to fire (effective one year after this Act's enactment date); and (2) any handgun sold, offered for sale, traded, transferred, shipped, leased, or distributed in the United States must be child-resistant as manufactured or retrofitted to be child-resistant (effective two years after such date). Includes as such a mechanism: (1) raising trigger resistance to at least a 10-pound pull, (2) altering the firing mechanism so that an average 5-year old child's hands are too small to operate the handgun, or (3) requiring a series of multiple motions in order to fire the handgun. Exempts antique firearms and firearms owned by the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires the cost of retrofitting a firearm to meet such requirement to be borne by the manufacturer if the manufacturer is operational at the time the retrofit is required, but permits the use of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund for payments to reimburse handgun manufacturers for the costs of retrofitting required by this Act.