I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3613 
To authorize the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make 
grants to States, units of local government, and gun dealers to conduct 
gun buyback programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2017 
Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. EVANS, Ms. SPEIER, Mrs. WAT-
SON COLEMAN, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
MOORE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. JOHNSON 
of Georgia, Mr. SIRES, Ms. FUDGE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. COHEN, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, and Mr. PALLONE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To authorize the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assist-
ance to make grants to States, units of local government, 
and gun dealers to conduct gun buyback programs, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2017’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:41 Aug 12, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3613.IH
H3613
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—GUN BUYBACK GRANT PROGRAM 
Sec. 101. Program authorized. 
Sec. 102. Applications. 
Sec. 103. Term of grant. 
Sec. 104. Smart prepaid cards. 
Sec. 105. Uses of funds. 
Sec. 106. Definitions. 
Sec. 107. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE II—CRIMINAL PROVISION 
Sec. 201. Use of smart prepaid card to buy or sell a firearm. 
TITLE I—GUN BUYBACK GRANT 
PROGRAM 
SEC. 101. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Bureau of 
Justice Assistance (referred to in this title as the ‘‘Direc-
tor’’) may make grants to eligible entities to conduct gun 
buyback programs. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—In this title, the 
term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(1) a State; 
(2) a unit of local government; or 
(3) a gun dealer if neither the unit of local gov-
ernment nor the State where such dealer is located 
receives a grant under this title. 
SEC. 102. APPLICATIONS. 
(a) GRANTS.—The chief executive of an eligible entity 
seeking a grant under this title shall submit an application 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:41 Aug 12, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3613.IH
H3613
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
to the Director at such time and containing such informa-
tion as the Director may reasonably require. 
(b) SUBGRANTS.—A gun dealer located in a unit of 
local government or State that does receive a grant under 
this title seeking a subgrant shall submit an application 
to the chief executive of such unit of local government or 
State at such time and containing such information as the 
chief executive may reasonably require, including proof of 
such dealer’s license under section 923 of title 18, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 103. TERM OF GRANT. 
(a) TERM.—The term of a grant awarded under this 
title shall be two years. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF GRANT FUNDS.— 
(1) STATES
OR
UNITS
OF
LOCAL
GOVERN-
MENT.—A State or unit of local government that re-
ceives a grant under this title shall return to the Di-
rector any remaining smart prepaid cards and any 
unused portion of such grant at the end of the two- 
year and 270-day period beginning on the date that 
the grant was awarded. 
(2) GUN DEALERS.—A gun dealer that receives 
a grant or subgrant under this title shall return to 
the Director any remaining smart prepaid cards and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:41 Aug 12, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3613.IH
H3613
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
any unused portion of such grant or subgrant that 
was allocated to be used to buy back guns— 
(A) in the case of a gun dealer receiving a 
grant, at the end of the two-year period begin-
ning on the date that the grant was awarded; 
or 
(B) in the case of a gun dealer receiving 
a subgrant, at the end of the two-year period 
beginning on the date that the grant was 
awarded to the State or unit of local govern-
ment from which the gun dealer received a 
subgrant. 
(c) AMOUNTS RETURNED.—The Director shall re-
turn to the general fund of the Treasury any amounts re-
turned under subsection (b). 
SEC. 104. SMART PREPAID CARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In conducting the grant program 
authorized under section 101, the Director may reserve 
such funds as may be necessary to acquire and distribute 
smart prepaid cards to eligible entities that receive grants 
under this title. The Director shall distribute the smart 
prepaid cards without any funds loaded onto the cards. 
(b) MARKET VALUE OF GUNS.—The Director shall 
determine the market value of each gun that the Director 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:41 Aug 12, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3613.IH
H3613
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS