I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2493
To assist local governments in conducting gun buyback programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 17, 2003
Ms. NORTON 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 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development may make grants to units of local 
government to conduct gun buyback programs. 
(b) REDUCTION OF INCIDENCE OF GUN VIOLENCE 
TO BE GIVEN GREAT WEIGHT.—In assessing applications
for grants under this Act, the Secretary 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 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
an application for the grant, which shall be in such form 
and contain such information as the Secretary 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;
(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 Secretary of Hous-
ing and Urban Development shall promulgate regulations 
to implement 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 govern-
ment 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.
SEC. 5. LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS. 
For grants under this Act, there are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development not more than $100,000,000 for each fiscal 
year.
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