Campopiano / 1 - Senator Lugten

S.ST. ____

A BILL
To require a mandatory biennial gun safety training class for all gun owners.
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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 Firearm Safety Act of 2014.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
Congress hereby finds and declares that,
1) In this nation, where nearly half of all US households own at least one gun, nearly
30,000 people die from a gunshot each year.
2) For kids ages 5 to 14, the mortality rate is 14 times higher in high gun ownership
states than low gun ownership states. For infants and toddlers, ages 0 to 4, the
mortality rate is 17 times higher in high gun ownership states than low gun
ownership states.
3) In 2011, 591 gun deaths were declared accidental. Of those, 102 were younger
than 18, with half of these children younger than age 13.
4) From 2005-2010, almost 3,800 people in the U.S. died from unintentional
shootings. More than a third of the victims were under 25 years of age.
5) Rather than being used for self-defense, guns in the home are 22 times more
likely to be involved in accidental shootings, homicides, or suicide attempts. For
every one time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable
shooting, there were 4 unintentional shootings, 7 criminal assaults or homicides, and
11 attempted or completed suicides.
SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
A) The aim of this bill is to reduce the number of firearm related accidents. In order
to do this, a firearm training class shall be required to be taken once every two years
as a component of acquiring or renewing a gun-handling license. This class shall
educate gun owners about how to carefully handle and care for his or her weapon.
B) A national standard fee of $200 shall be the price for the gun-handling license.
The license shall need to be renewed every five years. However, the firearm safety
class shall be required to be taken once every five years. Classes will come at a base
price of $60. This bill shall be enforced through with the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System, using the net profit from the classes to fund the research
for the system. The instructors shall be paid using the money gained from the
classes. Any additional funds shall be taken from the military budget as needed.
C) All citizens who wish to hold and maintain a firearm shall be required to follow
this act. The punishments for not following this shall be as follows: a first offense
fine of $1000, a second offense fine of $5000, and a third offense punishment of jail
time to be determined. This bill shall be enacted on January 1, 2015.