[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1973 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1973

   To authorize funds to pay a portion of the startup costs of local 
                       handgun exchange programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             March 24 (legislative day, February 22), 1994

 Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize funds to pay a portion of the startup costs of local 
                       handgun exchange programs.

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

SECTION 1. STARTUP OR ``SEED MONEY'' FOR LOCAL HANDGUN EXCHANGE 
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) Federal Contribution.--The Attorney General shall establish a 
program under which the Attorney General will enter into agreements to 
contribute, and will contribute, up to 50 percent of the funds needed 
to pay startup costs of handgun exchange programs operated by local 
governments or private entities in which merchandise or services 
(including entertainment), tickets or certificates that may be used to 
acquire merchandise or services, or other non-cash incentives are given 
in exchange for handguns.
    (b) Qualifications, Terms, and Conditions.--In an agreement under 
subsection (a), the Attorney General--
            (1) may agree to contribute to the startup costs of a 
        handgun exchange program an amount that is not greater than the 
        amount of State and local public funds and private funds 
        committed to the program at the time of the agreement;
            (2) shall require that the place at which exchanges are to 
        be made allows anonymity for a person who exchanges a handgun;
            (3) shall require that all firearms that are turned in to 
        the program will be destroyed;
            (4) shall require that the program agree to provide only 
        merchandise or services (including entertainment), tickets or 
        certificates that may be used to acquire merchandise, or other 
        incentives other than cash to persons who turn in firearms and 
        that such incentives be provided by donations from private 
        entities;
            (5) shall require that startup costs must pertain to--
                    (A) informing the community of the program;
                    (B) getting businesses involved in the program; or
                    (C) securing a safe handgun exchange location; and
            (6)(A) may set such other qualifications, terms, and 
        conditions as may be appropriate to ensure that the program is 
        operated in an efficient and bona fide manner consistent with 
        the interests of law enforcement; but
            (B) may not prescribe the terms under which the program 
        will accept firearms in exchange for any offered incentive.
    (c) Termination.--The program under subsection (a) shall terminate 
on September 30, 1995.
    (d) Allocation.--
            (1) Maximum amount.--Not more than 2 percent of the total 
        amount appropriated to carry out this Act for a fiscal year may 
        be allocated to the making of contributions in any 1 State.
            (2) Priority.--Within each State--
                    (A) the Attorney General shall give to priority to 
                creating handgun exchange programs in areas that are 
                experiencing high rates of crime in which handguns are 
                used; but
                    (B) urban and rural areas shall each receive an 
                appropriate amount of assistance.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, out of the Violent Crime 
Reduction Trust Fund to be established under section 1115 of title 31, 
United States Code, as proposed to be added by section 1353 of the 
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1993, $1,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 1994 and 1995.
    (f) Report.--Not later than December 31, 1995, the Attorney General 
shall submit to Congress a report assessing the effect that operation 
of the handgun exchange programs funded under this Act has had in 
reducing the incidence of crime in the jurisdictions in which the 
programs were operated.

                                 <all>