Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act

Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act

This bill authorizes a grant program for states, local governments, and Indian tribes to implement and evaluate handgun purchaser licensing requirements.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3285 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3285

To provide for a grant program for handgun licensing programs, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2019

Mr. Raskin (for himself and Mrs. Hayes) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for a grant program for handgun licensing programs, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) In 2017, 91 percent of firearm homicides in the United 
        States in which firearm type was specified were committed with 
        handguns.
            (2) Research by top national experts shows that handgun 
        purchaser licensing laws are associated with significant 
        reductions in firearm-related homicides. Research on the 
        effects of Connecticut's adoption of a handgun purchaser 
        licensing law in 1995 was associated with a 40-percent 
        reduction in the rate of firearm homicide and a 15-percent 
        reduction in firearm suicide rates during the first 10 years 
        the law was in place. Published research has shown that 
        Missouri's repeal of its handgun purchaser licensing law in 
        2007 was associated with an increase in firearm homicide rates 
        in the state of 27 percent and a 16-percent increase in 
        suicides committed with firearms.
            (3) In States which have had effective handgun purchaser 
        licensing laws for decades, such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, 
        New Jersey, and New York, the vast majority of guns traced to 
        crimes originated in other States, which supports the need for 
        handgun purchaser licensing laws in every State.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the terms ``Attorney General'', ``State'', and 
        ``handgun'' have the meanings given those terms in section 
        921(a) of title 18, United States Code; and
            (2) the term ``Indian tribe'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED FOR HANDGUN LICENSING.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General may award grants to States, 
units of local government, and Indian tribes for the development, 
implementation, and evaluation of handgun purchaser licensing 
requirements.
    (b) Program Authorized.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out 
this Act and not later than 90 days after such amounts are 
appropriated, the Attorney General shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible applicants whose applications are approved under 
subsection (c) to assist such applicants in implementing and improving 
handgun purchaser licensing programs.
    (c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, 
a State, unit of local government, or Indian tribe shall submit to the 
Attorney General an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Attorney General may require, 
including--
            (1) a description of the law that the applicant has enacted 
        to require a license for any purchase of a handgun including a 
        description of any other exemptions to such law; and
            (2) a description of how the applicant will use the grant 
        to carry out or improve its handgun purchaser licensing 
        program.
    (d) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for grants, an 
applicant shall have in effect handgun purchaser licensing laws that 
include the following provisions:
            (1) An individual applying for a handgun license or permit 
        must be not less than 21 years old and be a national or lawful 
        permanent resident of the United States.
            (2) Such an individual must apply for the handgun purchaser 
        license or permit at a law enforcement agency in the State in 
        which they reside.
            (3) Such an individual must reapply for the handgun 
        purchaser license or permit after a period not longer than 5 
        years.
            (4) Such an individual must submit to a background 
        investigation, and a criminal history check, in connection with 
        their application, as established by the State, which 
        background investigation and criminal history check ensure, at 
        a minimum, that such individual is not prohibited from 
        possessing a firearm under section 922(g) of title 18, United 
        States Code.
            (5) Such an individual must submit fingerprints and 
        photographs in connection with the application for the license 
        or permit.
            (6) Any individual who is prohibited from possessing a 
        firearm under section 922(g) of title 18, United States Code, 
        may not receive a license or permit.
    (e) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under this Act shall use 
such grant to improve handgun purchaser licensing programs of that 
grantee.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.
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