[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2482 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2482

  To assist States and units of local government in carrying out Safe 
                      Homes-Safe Streets programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2000

 Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Lautenberg) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To assist States and units of local government in carrying out Safe 
                      Homes-Safe Streets programs.

    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 ``Safe Homes-Safe Streets Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to reduce firearm circulation by 
assisting State and local law enforcement agencies in carrying out Safe 
Homes-Safe Streets programs.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code.
            (2) Safe homes-safe streets program.--The term ``Safe 
        Homes-Safe Streets program'' means a program carried out by a 
        law enforcement agency of a State or unit of local government 
        under which--
                    (A) the law enforcement agency shall--
                            (i) accept the voluntary surrender of 
                        firearms from individuals seeking to dispose of 
                        them;
                            (ii) provide gift certificates or other 
                        goods in exchange for firearms;
                            (iii) provide cash in exchange for firearms 
                        (in a value not to exceed \1/2\ of the 
                        estimated cost of a new similar firearm); or
                            (iv) use any other innovative approach to 
                        cause a voluntary reduction in the number of 
                        firearms in the State or local communities;
                    (B) the law enforcement agency may conduct a 
                criminal background check regarding the ownership of 
                each firearm surrendered or may offer amnesty from such 
                background checks, to the extent that the policy 
                regarding criminal background checks is uniformly 
                applied; and
                    (C) upon the surrender of a firearm, the law 
                enforcement agency shall--
                            (i) determine whether such firearm may 
                        potentially serve as evidence in any criminal 
                        investigation or prosecution; and
                            (ii) if the firearm is not needed as 
                        evidence--
                                    (I) destroy the firearm; or
                                    (II) if the firearm is a curio or 
                                relic or has historical significance, 
                                donate the firearm to a State or local 
                                museum for display.

SEC. 4. SAFE HOMES-SAFE STREETS PROGRAM GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General may award grants to States or 
units of local government in accordance with this section, which shall 
be used to establish and implement Safe Homes-Safe Streets programs.
    (b) Applications.--In order to be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, the chief executive of a State or unit of local 
government shall submit to the Attorney General an application, in such 
form and containing such information as the Attorney General may 
reasonably require.
    (c) Distribution.--The Attorney General shall distribute grant 
amounts awarded under this section directly to the recipient State or 
unit of local government.
    (d) Renewal.--A State or unit of local government shall be eligible 
to apply for and receive a grant under this section annually.
    (e) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Attorney 
        General may not make a grant to a State or unit of local 
        government under this section unless that State or unit of 
        local government agrees that, with respect to the costs to be 
        incurred by the State or unit of local government in carrying 
        out the Safe Homes-Safe Streets program for which the grant was 
        awarded, the State will make available (directly or through 
        donations from public or private entities) non-Federal 
        contributions in an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of 
        such costs.
            (2) Waiver.--The Attorney General may waive the requirement 
        of paragraph (1), in whole or in part, upon a finding of fiscal 
        hardship on the part of a grant recipient.
    (f) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall promulgate 
regulations to implement this section, which shall specify--
            (1) the information to be included in an application for a 
        grant under this section; and
            (2) the requirements that a State or unit of local 
        government shall meet in submitting such an application.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$15,000,000 for each fiscal year.
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