Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention Act of 2007

The Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 256) is a piece of U.S. gun control legislation which amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in an effort to prevent children's access to firearms. On January 5, 2007, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Tex.) introduced the measure with no co-sponsors, with the measure referred on that date to the House Judiciary Committee and on February 2, 2007 to its Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Bill summary


Age restrictions increased
The measure would raise the age of handgun eligibility from 18 to 21 and prohibit people under 21 from possessing semiautomatic assault weapons or large capacity ammunition feeding devices, with some exceptions.

Penalties increased
Penalties would be increased for a second or subsequent violation by a juvenile of Brady Act provisions, a first violation committed after an adjudication of delinquency, or after a state or federal conviction for an act that, if committed by an adult, would be a serious violent felony. It would increase penalties for transferring a handgun, ammunition, semiautomatic assault weapon, or large capacity ammunition feeding device to a person who is under the age of 21, knowing or having reasonable cause to know that such person intended to use it in the commission of a crime of violence.

Secure gun storage
It prohibits any licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer from transferring a firearm to any person (other than a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer) unless the transferee is provided with a secure gun storage or safety device. It authorizes the Attorney General to suspend or revoke any firearms license, or to subject the licensee to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 if the licensee has knowingly violated this prohibition.

Additional gun safety measures and expenditures
The measure would prohibit keeping a loaded firearm or an unloaded firearm and ammunition within any premises, knowing or recklessly disregarding the risk that a child is capable of gaining access to it and will use the firearm to cause death or serious bodily injury.

It would also require the parent or legal guardian of a child to ensure that a child attending a gun show is accompanied by an adult.

It would authorize the Attorney General to provide grants to enable local law enforcement agencies to develop and sponsor gun safety classes for parents and children.

It would express the sense of Congress that each school district should provide or participate in a firearms safety program for students. Insert non-formatted text here

Related SourceWatch/Congresspedia Resources

 * gun control
 * U.S. gun control legislation

External resources

 * OpenCongress page on the bill