[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SAFER GUNS FOR SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELLEN O. TAUSCHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2000

  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, today I have introduced the Safer Guns 
for Safer Communities Act along with my colleague Carolyn McCarthy.
  This bill takes a commonsense approach to gun safety by encouraging 
gun manufacturers to engage in better and safer business practices. The 
Safer Guns for Safer Communities Act is modeled after the historic 
Smith & Wesson Agreement.
  Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development and several local government entities entered into an 
agreement with Smith & Wesson to manufacture and distribute safer guns. 
The agreement was revolutionary in nature, but commonsense in approach. 
It includes many items that Congress has debated at one point or 
another: child safety locks, high capacity ammunition clips, and 
``smart'' gun technology. The Agreement also requires that firearms 
include additional safety features such as chamber load indicators and 
a hidden serial number which will help convict criminals using them. 
Since the Smith & Wesson Agreement was announced in March, nearly 600 
police departments and community leaders have pledged to only buy 
firearms that meet minimal safety standards.
  We must remember that gun safety reform is not taking guns away from 
law abiding citizens who are legitimate gun owners. Instead, it is 
about the little girl in Michigan who was shot by her 6-year-old 
classmate. It is about the 13 children killed by their peers at 
Columbine High School over a year ago. And it is about Antioch's Larry 
Kiepert who was shot by his neighbor.
  To create an incentive for more manufacturers to adopt these safety 
measures, The Safer Guns for Safer Communities Act provides grants to 
law enforcement agencies who purchase their weapons from manufacturers 
who agree to adhere to the better business practices similar to the 
ones in the Agreement. In addition, law enforcement officers who must 
purchase their own weapons would be able to come together through a 
qualified association of officers to apply for these grants. This 
provision benefits officers who are required to purchase their own 
weapons. The program would last 3 years and provides $50 million each 
year to 50 grantees. A study would then assess the impact of purchasing 
weapons from responsible manufacturers on gun-related crime and 
accidents.
  This Congress has refused to take action on any meaningful gun safety 
proposal. Perhaps the reason for their inaction can be best explained 
by the overpowering influence of the gun lobby. Our job in Congress is 
to promote responsibility, ensure safety, and educate the American 
people when it comes to owning, selling, and manufacturing firearms. It 
is time for children and families to once again feel safe in our 
schools, our homes, and our neighborhoods. It is time for our workforce 
to once again feel safe at work or during their commute home.

                          ____________________