[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5148 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5148

 To provide for the establishment of a national database of ballistics 
 information about firearms for use in fighting crime, and to require 
  firearms manufacturers to provide ballistics information about new 
                   firearms to the national database.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2000

Mr. Andrews (for himself and Mrs. McCarthy of New York) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the establishment of a national database of ballistics 
 information about firearms for use in fighting crime, and to require 
  firearms manufacturers to provide ballistics information about new 
                   firearms to the national database.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gun Ballistics Safety Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL FIREARMS BALLISTICS DATABASE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco 
and Firearms (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') shall 
establish an electronic database designed to contain information on the 
ballistic characteristics of firearms, which shall be known as the 
``National Firearms Ballistics Database''.
    (b) Firearms Ballistics Information Requirement.--The Director 
shall, by regulation, prescribe the type of ballistics information 
required by section 922(z) of title 18, United States Code, to be 
provided to the National Firearms Ballistics Database, and the form and 
manner in which the information is to be so provided.
    (c) Use of Database Information.--The Director shall ensure that 
the information in the National Firearms Ballistics Database is made 
available, on request, to any law enforcement agency or law enforcement 
officer.
    (d) Notice.--On establishment of the National Firearms Ballistics 
Database, the Director shall notify each licensed manufacturer and the 
chief law enforcement officer of each State of the establishment.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' has the meaning given in 
        section 921(a)(3) of title 18, United States Code.
            (2) Firearm manufacturer.--The term ``firearm 
        manufacturer'' means any person who manufactures a firearm.
            (3) Licensed manufacturer.--The term ``licensed 
        manufacturer'' has the meaning given in section 921(a)(10) of 
        title 18, United States Code.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given in 
        section 921(a)(2) of title 18, United States Code.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT THAT FIREARM MANUFACTURER OBTAIN AND PROVIDE 
              BALLISTICS INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL FIREARMS 
              BALLISTICS DATABASE.

    (a) In General.--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after subsection (y) the following:
    ``(z) Within 30 days after a person manufactures a firearm, the 
person shall provide to the National Firearms Ballistics Database the 
ballistics information prescribed under section 2(b) of the Gun 
Ballistics Safety Act of 2000 with respect to the firearm.''.
    (b) Penalties.--
            (1) Criminal penalties.--Section 924(a) of such title is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(7) Whoever knowingly violates section 922(z) shall be fined 
under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.''.
            (2) License revocation.--Section 923(e) of such title is 
        amended by inserting after the 2nd sentence the following: 
        ``The Secretary shall, after notice and opportunity for 
        hearing, revoke any license issued under this section if the 
        Secretary determines that the holder of the license has 
        violated section 922(z).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to conduct engaged in after the 30-day period that begins with 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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