I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1047
To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to improve the safety
of handguns.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 12, 1997
Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. PORTER, Mr.
BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms.
DEGETTE, Mr. FILNER, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. LIPINSKI,
Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. YATES,
and Mr. MANTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to
improve the safety of handguns.
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 ‘‘Child Safety Lock Act
of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. HANDGUN SAFETY.
(a) DEFINITION
OF
LOCKING
DEVICE.—Section
921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following:
‘‘(34) The term ‘locking device’ means—
‘‘(A) a device that, if installed on a firearm
and secured by means of a key or a mechani-
cally, electronically, or electromechanically oper-
ated combination lock, prevents the firearm
from being discharged without first deactivating
or removing the device by means of a key or
mechanically, 
electronically, 
or
electromechanically operated combination lock;
or
‘‘(B) a locking mechanism incorporated
into the design of a firearm that prevents dis-
charge of the firearm by any person who does
not have access to the key or other device de-
signed to unlock the mechanism and thereby
allow discharge of the firearm.’’.
(b) UNLAWFUL ACTS.—Section 922 of title 18,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after sub-
section (x) the following:
‘‘(y) LOCKING DEVICES AND WARNINGS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), beginning 90 days after the date of enact-
ment of the Child Safety Lock Act of 1997, it shall
be unlawful for any licensed manufacturer, licensed
importer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or trans-
fer any handgun—
‘‘(A) to any person, unless the transferee is
provided with a locking device for that hand-
gun; or
‘‘(B) to any person, unless the handgun is
accompanied by the following warning, which
shall appear in conspicuous and legible type in
capital letters, and which shall be printed on a
label affixed to the gun and on a separate sheet
of paper included within the packaging enclos-
ing the handgun:
‘‘ ‘THE USE OF A LOCKING DEVICE OR
SAFETY LOCK IS ONLY ONE ASPECT OF
RESPONSIBLE 
FIREARM 
STORAGE.
FIREARMS SHOULD BE STORED UN-
LOADED AND LOCKED IN A LOCATION
THAT IS BOTH SEPARATE FROM THEIR
AMMUNITION AND INACCESSIBLE TO
CHILDREN.
‘FAILURE TO PROPERLY LOCK AND
STORE YOUR FIREARM MAY RESULT IN
CIVIL OR CRIMINAL LIABILITY UNDER
STATE LAW. IN ADDITION, FEDERAL
LAW PROHIBITS THE POSSESSION OF A
HANDGUN BY A MINOR IN MOST CIR-
CUMSTANCES.’
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Paragraph (1) does not
apply to—
‘‘(A) the—
‘‘(i) manufacture for, transfer to, or
possession by, the United States or a State
or a department or agency of the United
States, or a State or a department, agency,
or political subdivision of a State, of a
handgun; or
‘‘(iii) the transfer to, or possession by,
a law enforcement officer employed by an
entity referred to in clause (i) of a hand-
gun for law enforcement purposes (whether
on or off-duty); or
‘‘(B) the transfer to, or possession by, a
rail police officer employed by a rail carrier and
certified or commissioned as a police officer
under the laws of a State of a handgun for pur-
poses of law enforcement (whether on or off-
duty).’’.
(c) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Section 924 of title 18,
United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘or (f)’’
and inserting ‘‘(f), or (p)’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(p) PENALTIES RELATING TO LOCKING DEVICES
AND WARNINGS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(A) SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LI-
CENSE; CIVIL
PENALTIES.—With respect to
each violation of subparagraph (A) or (B) of
section 922(y)(1) by a license, the Secretary
may, after notice and opportunity for hearing—
‘‘(i) suspend or revoke any license is-
sued to the licensee under this chapter; or
‘‘(ii) subject the licensee to a civil
penalty in an amount equal to not more
than $10,000.
‘‘(B) REVIEW.—An action of the Secretary
under this paragraph may be reviewed only as
provided in section 923(f).
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES.—the suspen-
sion or revocation of a license or the imposition of
a civil penalty under paragraph (1) does not pre-
clude any administrative remedy that is otherwise
available to the Secretary.’’.
Æ