[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 711 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 711

  To amend title 18, United States Code, to ensure that handguns are 
  available only to persons with demonstrated knowledge and skill in 
               their safe use, maintenance, and storage.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 2, 1993

 Mr. Gonzalez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 18, United States Code, to ensure that handguns are 
  available only to persons with demonstrated knowledge and skill in 
               their safe use, maintenance, and storage.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. HANDGUNS AVAILABLE ONLY TO PERSONS WITH DEMONSTRATED 
              KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN THEIR SAFE USE, MAINTENANCE, AND 
              STORAGE.

    (a) In General.--Section 923 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l)(1)(A) An individual who is not licensed under this section 
may not possess a handgun on or after the date final regulations are 
prescribed pursuant to paragraph (2) unless the individual has been 
issued a handgun permit under paragraph (2).
    ``(B) Subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not apply to an 
individual who owns a handgun on the date final regulations are 
prescribed pursuant to paragraph (2), until the earlier of--
            ``(i) the first day the individual does not own the 
        handgun; or
            ``(ii) the end of the ninety-day period that begins with 
        the date the final regulations are so prescribed.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations providing for the 
issuance of a handgun permit to any individual who--
            ``(A) has successfully completed a course of instruction, 
        in the safe use, maintenance, and storage of handguns, offered 
        by a Federal or State law enforcement agency or an entity 
        designated by such an agency to offer the instruction;
            ``(B) has attained the age of twenty-one years;
            ``(C) is not otherwise prohibited by Federal law, or by the 
        law of the State or political subdivision thereof in which the 
        individual resides, from possessing a handgun; and
            ``(D) has not willfully violated any provision of this 
        chapter or any regulation issued under this chapter.
    ``(3)(A) In the case of an individual's first violation of 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, after notice and opportunity for a 
hearing, impose a civil fine of not more than $500 upon the individual.
    ``(B) In the case of an individual's second or subsequent violation 
of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, after notice and opportunity for 
a hearing--
            ``(i) impose a civil fine of not more than $2,500 upon the 
        individual; and
            ``(ii) seize the handgun.
    ``(4)(A) The Secretary shall provide written notice to any 
individual of any action to be taken under paragraph (3) with respect 
to the individual.
    ``(B) If the Secretary takes an action under paragraph (3) with 
respect to an individual, the Secretary shall, upon request of the 
individual, promptly hold a hearing to review the action.
    ``(C) After reviewing an action taken under paragraph (3) with 
respect to an individual, the Secretary shall provide written notice to 
the individual of any decision of the Secretary to affirm, reverse, or 
modify the action.
    ``(D) Within sixty days after an individual receives notice 
provided under subparagraph (C) of a decision of the Secretary to 
affirm or modify an action taken with respect to the individual, the 
individual may file a petition in the United States district court for 
the district in which the individual resides for review of the action.
    ``(5) As used in this subsection, the term `handgun' means any 
firearm designed to be fired by the use of a single hand, and any 
combination of parts from which such a firearm can be assembled.''.
    (b) Deadline for Issuance of Final Regulations.--Not later than one 
hundred and eighty days after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe final 
regulations to carry out section 923(l) of title 18, United States 
Code.

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