[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 87 (Thursday, June 13, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SIMON:
  S. 1872. A bill to amend section 922(x)(5) of title 18, United States 
Code, relating to the prohibition of possession of a handgun by a 
minor, to change the definition of minor from under 18 years of age to 
under 21 years of age: to the Committee on the Judiciary.


               Amendments to the Youth Handgun Safety Act

  Mr. SIMON. Madam President, I know that all of my colleagues share my 
concern about the increasing violence committed by and against young 
people in our Nation. There are many factors contributing to youth 
crime and violence and, as legislators, it is essential that we 
consider them not only as a whole but also individually. One of the 
contributing factors is clearly the easy access to handguns by young 
people. According to ``Violence by Young People: Why the Deadly 
Nexus?'' by Prof. Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University, the 
number of murders committed by juveniles involving a gun has doubled 
since 1985, while there has been no such shift in the number of non-gun 
homicides. Guns are therefore playing a disproportionate role in the 
juvenile murder rate.
  The legislation I am introducing amends the Youth Handgun Safety Act. 
Senator Kohl sponsored this important act, which was passed as part of 
the 1994 crime bill, to establish a minimum age requirement of 18 years 
old for the possession of a handgun. Specifically, the act makes it 
illegal for anyone under age 18 to possess a handgun and for anyone to 
knowingly transfer a handgun to a juvenile. There are exceptions for 
ranching or farming, and when the juvenile has written consent from a 
parent and is in compliance with all State and local laws. The act 
makes handgun possession and transferring a handgun to a juvenile a 
misdemeanor crime punishable by fines and up to 1 year imprisonment. Of 
course, Congress intends this measure to apply to handguns that have 
traveled in interstate commerce.
  Before the act became law, it was illegal for a licensed dealer to 
sell a handgun to anyone under age 21 and a long gun to anyone under 
age 18. However, there were no Federal penalties for the under-age 
person who bought the gun or for private transfers of a handgun. I 
applaud Senator Kohl for his sponsorship of this important initiative.
  As it now stands, however, the Youth Handgun Safety Act defines the 
term ``juvenile'' as a person who is less than 18 years of age. My 
proposal would amend the definition of ``juvenile'' in this measure to 
mean a person who is less than 21 years of age.
  Unfortunately, more and more frequently we hear stories about 
juvenile brawls which turn into deadly battles. Increasing the age 
limit for possession of a handgun to 21 is one step we can take to try 
to reduce this bloody cycle. Recognizing that alcohol and teenagers can 
be a deadly combination, Congress wisely amended the highway fund to 
include penalties for States that did not raise the drinking age to 21. 
We should follow this example when it comes to guns and teens as well. 
By introducing this measure I hope to encourage my colleagues to think 
about how we might help our teens to grow into responsible young 
adults. As limiting access to alcohol has certainly saved lives, so too 
will limiting access to handguns.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1872

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

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENT TO THE YOUTH HANDGUN SAFETY LAW.

       Section 922(x)(5) of title 18, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``18 years'' and inserting ``21 years''.
                                 ______