[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 110 (Monday, September 18, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          INTRODUCTION OF NO GUNS FOR VIOLENT PERPETRATORS ACT

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                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 18, 2000

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, today I join with ten of my colleagues in 
introducing legislation that will keep guns out of the hands of our 
most violent criminals.
  In my twelve years as an elected District Attorney, I found that to 
the victim of a violent crime it makes little difference whether the 
perpetrator was an adult or a juvenile. I believe we all can agree that 
violent persons should not be able to legally possess a firearm.
  We already have legislation that makes it illegal for convicted 
felons to possess a firearm. But a loophole allows people who were 
convicted of violent crimes when they were juveniles to possess 
firearms. This is a narrow loophole that should be closed.
  This loophole was brought to my attention by one of my constituents, 
Bob Lockett, who owns a gun store in my district. An individual with a 
conviction for a shooting death as a juvenile in California tried to 
purchase gun parts at his store. I commend Mr. Lockett for bringing 
this serious matter to my attention, and I agree with him that these 
individuals with a violent past should be prohibited from possessing 
firearms. And although the state of Kansas has this law, I believe that 
this should be a federal law to prevent violent perpetrators from 
possessing firearms nationwide.
  Mr. Speaker, persons who have a juvenile adjudication for a violent 
felony should not--should never--possess a firearm. I urge my 
colleagues to support this important legislation, the text of which 
appears below.

                               H.R. 5194

       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 ``No Guns For Violent'' 
     Perpetrators Act''.

     SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY AN 
                   INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS COMMITTED AN ACT OF JUVENILE 
                   DELINQUENCY THAT WOULD BE A VIOLENT FELONY IF 
                   COMMITTED BY AN ADULT.

       Section 922(g)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking the comma; and
       (2) by inserting ``, or adjudicated as having committed an 
     act of juvenile delinquency that would be a crime of violence 
     (as defined in section 924(c)(3)) and punishable by 
     imprisonment for such term if committed by an adult'' before 
     the semi-colon.

     

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