[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E299-E300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 1997

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the statistics regarding kids and guns 
today are truly alarming. Every 90 minutes a child is killed with a 
loaded gun. Shootings are the fourth leading cause of accidental death 
for children. For every child killed by gunfire, four more are wounded. 
This is a tragedy we can and should do something about.
  The right to own a gun must be balanced with the responsibility of 
keeping guns out of children's hands. When people buy a gun, they 
should also be encouraged to purchase either a lock box, trigger 
safety, or similar device to make sure the gun cannot be accidentally 
handled or fired.

[[Page E300]]

  Today I am introducing a bill that models itself after laws already 
on the books in 15 States and a number of localities. These laws, known 
as child access prevention [CAP] laws, make it the legal responsibility 
of gun dealers to provide--and of gun owners to use--gun safety 
devices. Best of all, we know from experience that this is an approach 
that works. Florida, the first State to pass such a law, showed a 50-
percent drop in unintentional shooting deaths among kids the first year 
after passage. California has shown similar results after passing a CAP 
law.
  My bill would: require gun dealers to offer to sell a locking device 
or lock box for safe gun storage and post a sign stating that this law 
is in effect; making gun owners legally responsible for leaving a 
loaded firearm, or a firearm near ammunition, in a place where kids 
could gain access.
  People regularly child proof their home to protect children from 
harming themselves. By making potential gun buyers aware of these 
problems and by offering a solution at the point of sale, we can child 
proof guns in the home, leading to fewer gun-related accidents and a 
greater sense of awareness about gun safety.

                          ____________________