Rep. Maloney Introduces Legislation to Reduce Gun Deaths, Make Guns Safer

In an effort to improve gun safety, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) has reintroduced The Handgun Trigger Safety Act, forward-thinking legislation to use new and emerging technology to prevent gun deaths. The bill would promote the development of new "smart gun" technology that only allows an authorized user to fire a gun. It would also mandate that all newly manufactured handguns use this technology within five years, and that existing handguns be retrofitted with this technology within ten years. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) will introduce a companion version in the Senate.

"How many more kids have to die? How many more police officers have to be killed with their own weapon before we come to our senses?" said Rep. Maloney. "We wouldn't drive in cars or use baby cribs that didn't adopt the latest safety technology, and we shouldn't use guns that don't take advantage of this technology either. I'm proud to reintroduce the Handgun Trigger Safety Act to support the development and adoption of innovative safety technology for handguns. We should be taking advantage of new technology, not shunning it."

Smart guns have been available to consumers for several years, and entrepreneurs continue to develop innovative technology to retrofit guns to make them safer. This technology will help prevent accidental gun deaths--especially among children. Everytown for Gun Safety has found that on average, an unintentional shooting involving a child takes place every 34 hours. Overall, an average of 544 Americans die in firearm accidents each year.

Specifically, the Handgun Trigger Safety Act would:

Authorize grants to develop and improve "personalized" handgun technology to increase efficacy and decrease costs;
Mandate that within five years of enactment all newly manufactured handguns must be personalized, ensuring that they can only be operated by authorized users;
Mandate that within ten years of enactment anyone selling a handgun must retrofit it with personalization technology before that sale can be completed; and
Provide reimbursement to manufacturers for the costs of retrofitting handguns through the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund.

A copy of the Handgun Trigger Safety Act can be found HERE.

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