[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S8159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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         DOMESTICALLY MANUFACTURED FIREARMS AND CONSUMER SAFETY

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in 1972, Congress established the 
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent regulatory 
agency designed to ``protect the public from unreasonable risks of 
injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.'' Since 1972, 
CPSC has worked to accomplish that goal by developing uniform safety 
standards, obtaining the recall of dangerous products, and researching, 
informing and educating consumers about product related hazards. CPSC 
has jurisdiction over thousands categories of products, from furniture 
to sporting equipment, appliances, clothing and toys.
  Although almost all categories of consumer products are reviewed for 
safety, there are millions of dangerous products in the United States 
that go untested. These products, which are among the leading cause of 
death in the United States, are exempted from oversight by the Consumer 
Product Safety Commission. They are not subject to any quality and 
safety standards, nor are their manufacturers required to provide 
warnings to consumers about their hazards. These products are firearms, 
and despite the fact that they kill some 35,000 people each year, they 
are exempt from oversight by the federal agency that provides Americans 
with lifesaving information.
  The fact that guns are one of the only categories of products not 
subject to regulation is another example of a loophole in our federal 
firearms law. In the 1968 Gun Control Act, Congress set quality and 
safety standards for imported guns, yet failed to impose such criteria 
on domestically manufactured weapons. As a result, many of the guns 
manufactured today lack even the most basic kind of safety devices.
  Gun manufacturers have the ability to include basic safety mechanisms 
in their firearms that would substantially reduce firearm related 
deaths. Yet most gun manufacturers have refused to implement even the 
most basic technology in their products. It would surprise most 
Americans to know that firearms manufactured in the United States are 
not required to pass a ``drop test,'' a series of tests and 
measurements to ensure that guns will not accidentally fire if dropped. 
Nor are they required to include simple features on firearms, such as 
load indicators which tell the user the gun is loaded. Many firearms 
also lack a magazine disconnect safety, a small safety improvement that 
costs approximately 50 cents, and could save the lives of hundreds of 
children who die from unintentional shootings. In addition, there are 
no requirements that firearms are manufactured with internal locking 
devices or combination locks. These are simple solutions for safety, 
but until guns are regulated as a consumer product, they are unlikely 
to be implemented by domestic manufacturers.
  Manufacturers should also pursue technology to develop ``smart'' or 
``personalized'' guns. Although there is no such working weapon that 
uses this technology now, there are plans by some manufacturers to 
explore the development of smart guns that recognize their owners 
through fingerprints, radio emissions or skin conductivity. The NRA and 
other gun manufacturers, such as Berretta U.S.A. Corp, are opposed to 
the development of smart gun technology, because they believe it would 
lead to mandatory safety standards. Yet, personalization concepts that 
allow only the authorized user access to his firearm, are sure to 
decrease the number of fatal unintentional injuries, homicides and 
suicides.
  The Consumer Product Safety Commission is capable of monitoring 
firearms, just as they review baby cribs, hair dryers, basketballs, 
even toy guns, and the thousands of other products manufactured in the 
United States. But until Congress amends the Consumer Product Safety 
Act and revokes this special privilege given to firearms manufacturers, 
guns manufactured in the United States are unlikely to include even 
basic safety mechanisms.

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