[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
        Lautenberg, Mr. Reed, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Levin, Mr. Robb, Mr. 
        Moynihan, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Dodd, and Mr. Daschle):
  S. 2338. A bill to enhance the enforcement of gun violence laws; to 
the Committee on the Judiciary.


the effective national firearms objectives for responsible, commonsense 
                       enforcement (enforce) act

 Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce on 
behalf of myself and Senators Kennedy, Durbin, Lautenberg, Reed, 
Torricelli, Levin, Robb, Moynihan, Boxer, Dodd, and Mr. Daschle, the 
Effective National Firearms Objectives For Responsible, Commonsense 
Enforcement Act. This bill, I believe, bridges the gap between those 
who reflexively support the gun lobby and those who strongly support 
gun control.
  The ENFORCE Act is the culmination of years of research into gun 
tracing and gun trafficking. It is the next phase in stopping gun 
violence. It is a bill and an approach to gun crime that works smarter 
and works harder.
  This bill works smarter by ridding us of many of the laws that have 
shielded illegal gun traffickers and dirty gun dealers from 
prosecution. It uses the latest in gun tracing data and ballistics 
technology to make it possible for law enforcement to zero in on the 
bad apples, throw the book at them, and leave the rest alone. It works 
harder by finally giving ATF the street agents they need to crack down 
on high crime gun dealers and to prosecute more gun crimes.
  Let me outline a few provisions in this legislation. First, this bill 
will fund 500 new ATF agents and inspectors to crack down on dirty gun 
dealers. These new agents will target high-crime gun dealers who supply 
firearms to criminals and juveniles and crack down on violent gun 
criminals and illegal gun traffickers at gun shows, gun stores, and on 
the streets.
  ENFORCE will also give ATF the authority to investigate high crime-
gun stores. Under current law, the ATF is only allowed to conduct one 
unannounced inspection of a licensed dealer a year. The bill would 
allow the ATF to conduct four compliance inspections annually of 
licensed firearms dealers, importers, and manufacturers.
  In addition, this legislation will authorize funds to hire an 
additional 1,000 local, state and federal prosecutors to expand the 
Project Exile program in high gun-crime areas. In cases where federal 
law enforcement authorities defer to state prosecutors, this funding 
would ensure that state prosecutors have sufficient resources. 
Furthermore, ENFORCE authorizes funding for federal prosecutors and gun 
enforcement teams to coordinate efforts with local law enforcement and 
to determine where federal prosecution is warranted.
  ENFORCE will also create a comprehensive ballistics DNA testing 
network. The Act would triple current funding for ballistics testing 
programs to support the deployment of 150 ballistics imaging units, 
helping to link bullets and shell casings to the crime-guns they were 
fired from.
  ENFORCE will expand to 50 cities and counties the Youth Crime Gun 
Interdiction Initiative (YCGII), which would dramatically increase 
tracing of crime guns to find sources. Participating cities and 
counties' law enforcement agencies would submit and share identifying 
information about crime guns and conduct law enforcement investigations 
regarding illegal youth users of firearms and illegal traffickers of 
firearms to youth. The Secretary of the Treasury would provide an 
annual report on the types and sources of recovered crime guns and the 
number of investigations associated with YCGII.
  The bill would also fund $10 million for smart gun technology 
research and development. New state-of-the-art innovations could limit 
a gun's use to its owner or other authorized users--and could therefore 
prevent accidental shooting deaths of children, detect gun theft, and 
stop criminals from seizing and using the guns of police officers 
against them.
  ENFORCE is a comprehensive package of measures that will strengthen 
the enforcement of existing gun laws and target high crime-gun dealers 
to reduce gun violence and to keep firearms out of the hands of 
children and criminals. The gun lobby has been calling for more 
enforcement. This is as tough and effective an enforcement bill as ever 
drafted. Gun rights and gun control supporters ought to step up to the 
plate and pass it.

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