[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9399 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9399

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for criminal 
  penalties for a person who provides fire arms to juveniles if such 
 firearms are thereafter used for the commission of a criminal offense.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2026

Mr. Casten (for himself and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for criminal 
  penalties for a person who provides fire arms to juveniles if such 
 firearms are thereafter used for the commission of a criminal offense.

    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 ``Juvenile Firearms Safety Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. UNLAWFUL ACTS.

    Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(aa)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person who is 18 years of age 
or older to--
                    ``(A) knowingly provide a firearm, other than a 
                handgun, to a juvenile (as such term is defined in 
                subsection (x)(5)), knowing or having reasonable cause 
                to believe that the juvenile intends to use such 
                firearm for self-harm or in the commission of a crime; 
                or
                    ``(B) knowingly store or keep any firearm that has 
                moved in, or that has otherwise affected, interstate or 
                foreign commerce on the premises of a residence, 
                vehicle, or facility under the control of the person 
                if--
                            ``(i) the person knows, or reasonably 
                        should know, that a juvenile is likely to gain 
                        unauthorized access to the firearm; and
                            ``(ii) a juvenile obtains the firearm and 
                        uses the firearm in the commission of a crime 
                        or causes injury or death to such juvenile, or 
                        any other individual.
            ``(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) a fact finder may 
        consider other relevant factors, including if the person--
                    ``(A) has received outreach about concerns about 
                the juvenile's mental health from the juvenile, the 
                juvenile's parent or guardian, other parents, school 
                administration, law enforcement, medical professionals, 
                or other adults;
                    ``(B) has knowledge of prior acts of violence 
                against others by the juvenile; or
                    ``(C) has knowledge of suicidality on the part of 
                the juvenile, including previous acts of self harm.
            ``(3) Paragraph (1)(B) does not apply to a person if the 
        person--
                    ``(A) keeps the firearm--
                            ``(i) secure using a secure gun storage or 
                        safety device; or
                            ``(ii) in a location which a reasonable 
                        person would believe to be secure; or
                    ``(B) carries the firearm on his or her person or 
                within such close proximity thereto that the person can 
                readily retrieve and use the firearm as if the person 
                carried the firearm on his or her person.
        Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a 
        juvenile from engaging in lawful activities involving the use 
        of a firearm, with the permission of the parent or guardian of 
        the juvenile. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to 
        affect any existing law related to consequences of a minor 
        providing a firearm to another minor or to affect any existing 
        law related to an adult's responsibility for a crime committed 
        by a third party minor who did not access the adult's weapon 
        directly.''.

SEC. 3. PENALTIES.

    Section 924(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) Whoever knowingly violates subsection (aa) of section 
        922--
                    ``(A) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 
                for not more than 1 year, or both;
                    ``(B) if the firearm is used in the commission of a 
                crime, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for 
                not more than 2 years, or both;
                    ``(C) if the juvenile obtains the firearm pursuant 
                to a violation of (aa)(1)(B), and the juvenile causes 
                injury or death to such juvenile, or any other 
                individual, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 
                for not more than 5 years, or both; or
                    ``(D) if a person provides the juvenile with the 
                firearm in violation of (aa)(1)(A), and the juvenile 
                causes injury or death to such juvenile, or any other 
                individual, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 
                for not more than 10 years, or both.''.
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