US Congress Wants Smart Guns

Congress Recently Introduced Legislation to Require All Guns to be Smart Guns

Recently a bill was introduced into the US Congress, called the "Handgun Trigger Safety Act of 2015", that has some disturbing requirements if passed:

Gun manufacturers will be required to install smart gun technology on all guns manufactured in the United States:

MANUFACTURING.—Beginning on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, no person may manufacture in the United States a handgun that is not a personalized handgun.

All handguns bought or sold are to be smart guns:

DISTRIBUTION IN COMMERCE.—Beginning on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act, no person may distribute in commerce any handgun that is not a personalized handgun or a retrofitted personalized handgun.

There are, of course, exemptions:

EXEMPTIONS FOR ANTIQUE FIREARMS AND 18 MILITARY FIREARMS.—Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to—

(A) an antique firearm;

(B) the manufacture of a firearm that is sold to the Department of Defense; or the sale or distribution of a firearm to the Department of Defense.

And, not only will all guns manufactured, bought or sold have to be smart guns, manufacturers will be required to retrofit handguns at their expense:

(1) COST BORNE BY MANUFACTURERS.—Upon the request of the owner of a handgun that was manufactured in the United States and that is not a personalized handgun or retrofitted personalized handgun, the manufacturer of the handgun—

(A) shall—

(i) retrofit the handgun so that the handgun is a retrofitted personalized handgun; and

(ii) return the handgun to the owner within a reasonable period of time; and

(B) may not request compensation for the retrofit from the owner.

So what is a Personalized Handgun?

PERSONALIZED HANDGUN.—The term "personalized handgun" means a handgun that—

(A) enables only an authorized user of the handgun to fire the handgun; and

(B) is manufactured in such a manner that the firing restriction described in subparagraph (A)—

(i) is incorporated into the design of the handgun;

(ii) is not sold as an accessory; and

(iii) cannot be readily removed or deactivated.

Handgun Trigger Safety Act of 2015

House Sponsor:

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)

Senate Sponsor:

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.)

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