103D CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
  
                                  H. R. 1276 
  
To establish the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms
    in defense of self, family, or home, and to provide for the enforcement
    of such right.
  
                           ======================= 
  
                       IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
  
                               March 10, 1993 
  
Mr. BARTLETT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
    Committee on the Judiciary 
  
                           ======================= 
  
                                    A BILL 
  
To establish the right to obtain firearms for security, and
    to use firearms in defense of self, family, or home, and
    to provide for the enforcement of such right.
  
        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 "Citizens' Self-Defense
    Act of 1993". 
  
    SEC. 2. RIGHT TO OBTAIN FIREARMS FOR SECURITY, AND
        TO USE FIREARMS IN DEFENSE OF SELF,
        FAMILY, OR HOME; ENFORCEMENT.
  
        (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF RIGHT. -- A person not pro-
    hibited by Federal law from receiving a firearm shall have
    the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use fire-
    arms in defense of self, family, or home.
  
        (b) FIREARM DEFINED. -- As used in subsection (a),
    the term "firearm" means a --
  
            (1) shotgun (as defined in section 921(a)(5) of
        title 18, United States Code);

            (2) rifle (as defined in section 921(a)(7) of such
        title); or

            (3) handgun (as defined in section 10 of Public
        law 99-408).

        (c) ENFORCEMENT OF RIGHT. --

            (1) IN GENERAL. -- A person whose right under
        subsection (a) is violated in any manner may bring
        an action in any United States district court against
        the United States, any State, or any person for
        damages, injunctive relief, and such other relief as
        the court deems appropriate.

            (2) AUTHORITY TO AWARD A REASONABLE AT-
        TORNEY'S FEE. -- In an action brought under para-
        graph (1), the court, in its discretion, may allow the
        prevailing party, other than a State, a reasonable
        attorney's fee as part of the costs.

        (d) STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. -- An action may not
    be brought under subsection (c)(1) after the 5-year period
    that begins with the date the violation described therein
    is discovered.

------------------------ (end of HR 1276) ------------------------


Well, this sounds good to me.  The key is Section (2)(c)(2), which
will effectively open up the Federal court system to all the folks
who can't afford to adopt an Attorney with whom to fight city hall.
All of you who've been saying "hey, isn't that illegal?" could just
go hire your own Attorneys on a pay-if-you-win ("contingency fee")
basis, and sue the bums ...   :-)

What you can do now:

(1)  Write your Representative, and ask them to co-sponsor HR 1276.

(2)  Write Representative Roscoe Bartlett, the sponsor --

        Representative Roscoe Bartlett
        312 Cannon House Office Building
        Washington, D.C. 20515

     -- to tell him who your own Representative is, and that you've
     asked them to join him as a co-sponsor of HR 1276.

(3)  Contact Gun Owners of America --

          Gun Owners of America
          8001 Forbes Place
          Springfield, Virginia 22151

     -- which has committed to lobby on behalf of HR 1276.

(4)  For those of us with a RealJob (TM), find out how to reach
     Representative Bartlett's campaign fund (I'm working on it)
     and toss in a few bucks.  You can bet your bippy that he's
     going to be one of the HCI "targets" in the next election,
     which isn't that far away (1994).