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106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3255
To assist local governments in conducting gun buyback programs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 8, 1999
Ms. NORTON (for herself and Mr. WYNN) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To assist local governments in conducting gun buyback
programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nationwide Gun
Buyback Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General of the
United States may make grants to units of local govern-
ment to conduct gun buyback programs.
(b) REDUCTION OF INCIDENCE OF GUN VIOLENCE
TO BE GIVEN GREAT WEIGHT.—In assessing applications
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for grants under this Act, the Attorney General shall give
greater weight to the incidence of gun violence and the
need to reduce the availability of guns in the jurisdictions
involved than to any other factors.
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A unit of local government to
which a grant is made under this Act shall use the grant
only to conduct a gun buyback program in accordance
with the approved application for the grant.
SEC. 3. APPLICATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The chief executive of a unit of
local government desiring a grant under this Act shall sub-
mit to the Attorney General of the United States an appli-
cation for the grant, which shall be in such form and con-
tain such information as the Attorney General may rea-
sonably require.
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—An application for a grant
under this Act for a gun buyback program shall contain
assurances from the chief executive of the unit of local
government (after consultation with the local chief of po-
lice or equivalent officer) that—
(1) within 60 days after the date the program
collects a gun, the gun will be destroyed or, if the
gun is an inoperable curio or relic with historic sig-
nificance, donated to a museum for display;
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(2) the local law enforcement authority is able
to collect guns safely under the program; and
(3) the unit of local government has the author-
ity to grant an appropriate amnesty to persons from
whom guns are obtained under the program.
(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General
of the United States shall promulgate regulations to im-
plement this Act, which shall specify the information that
must be included in an application for a grant under this
Act, and the requirements that units of local government
must meet to be eligible for such a grant.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) GUN.—The term ‘‘gun’’ means a firearm
(as defined in section 921(a)(3) of title 18, United
States Code).
(2) GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘gun
buyback program’’ means a program conducted by a
local law enforcement authority under which the au-
thority purchases guns from, or accepts gun dona-
tions made by individuals or groups desiring to dis-
pose of guns.
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SEC. 5. LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS.
For grants under this Act, there are authorized to
be appropriated to the Attorney General of the United
States not more than $50,000,000 for each fiscal year.
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