H.R. 821House108th Congress (2003-2005)In Committee

Accidental Shooting Prevention Act of 2003

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the manufacture or importation, or transfer by a licensed firearms dealer, of a pistol that does not have a chamber load indicator and, in the case of a semiautomatic pistol that has a detachable magazine, a mechanism that prevents the pistol from being fired when the magazine is not attached.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E633)

April 22, 2004

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 13, 2003

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E250)

February 13, 2003

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

February 13, 2003

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee

March 6, 2003

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E633)

April 22, 2004

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 821 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. James R. LangevinD-RI-2 · Apr 22, 2004

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban. In 1994, President Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which banned the manufacture…

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban. In 1994, President Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which banned the manufacture and importation of many semiautomatic assault weapons. This law is set to expire on September 13, 2004, just 144 days away.

In 1995, the FBI reported that trace requests for assault weapons declined 20 percent only one year after enactment of the ban. Since enactment, criminals are using these guns less frequently, and innocent lives are saved every day as a result.

I am proud to join 108 of my colleagues as a cosponsor of H.R. 2038, the Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act. This vital legislation will permanently extend the 1994 Act and help keep these weapons out of our country and away from criminals.

If we allow the assault weapons ban to expire, our streets will again be flooded with an arsenal of Uzis and AK-47s--guns which are responsible for pre-ban killings such as the Stockton Schoolyard Massacre and a shooting at the CIA Headquarters.

Twenty percent of police officers killed in the line of duty today are shot using these banned assault weapons. This number is sure to increase if these weapons are more readily available. The weapons banned under current law pose too great a risk to the general public, and especially law enforcement officers, to be legalized. For this reason, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police both support extending the ban.

In addition to this important measure, I have introduced two other pieces of legislation to cut down on shooting deaths. Approximately 1 percent of the nation's gun stores are the source of 57 percent of the firearms traced to crimes. H.R. 1540, the Crackdown on Deadbeat Dealers Act, would increase the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate record-keeping compliance among these delinquent gun dealers. The second bill is H.R. 821, the Accidental Shooting Prevention Act, which requires chamber load indicators on handguns, allowing gun owners to quickly recognize if their weapons are loaded. I encourage my colleagues to cosponsor these two bills and help reduce the number of gun deaths in America without infringing on the rights of lawful gun owners.

The three pieces of legislation I have mentioned do not unreasonably restrict law-abiding citizens from using appropriate firearms for sporting purposes or self-protection. Rather, sensible gun control prevents firearms from getting into the wrong hands.

My colleagues in the House and Senate must understand how important it is that we continue this ban on assault weapons to prevent parents and children from suffering life-altering senseless violence should these guns again become legal.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 13, 2003

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 821 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 821

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the manufacture or
importation, or transfer by a licensed firearms dealer, of a pistol
that does not have a chamber load indicator and, in the case of a
semiautomatic pistol that has a detachable magazine, a mechanism that
prevents the pistol from being fired when the magazine is not attached.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 13, 2003

Mr. Langevin (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Berman, Ms. Corrine
Brown of Florida, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr.
Delahunt, Mr. Engel, Mr. Farr, Mr. Filner, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts,
Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. Honda, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of
Texas, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Kirk, Mr.
Lantos, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr.
McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Nadler, Mr.
Pascrell, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Towns, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Weiner, Mr.
Wexler, and Ms. Woolsey) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the manufacture or
importation, or transfer by a licensed firearms dealer, of a pistol
that does not have a chamber load indicator and, in the case of a
semiautomatic pistol that has a detachable magazine, a mechanism that
prevents the pistol from being fired when the magazine is not attached.

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 ``Accidental Shooting Prevention Act
of 2003''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION.

(a) In General.--Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(z)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person to manufacture or import
into the United States a pistol, or for a person licensed under this
chapter to transfer possession of or title to a pistol manufactured on
or after January 1, 2006, unless the pistol includes--
``(A) a plainly visible device in a contrasting
color that clearly indicates whether the pistol is
loaded; and
``(B) if the pistol is a semiautomatic pistol that
has a detachable ammunition magazine, a mechanism that
prevents the pistol from being fired when the magazine
is not attached to the pistol.''.
(b) Penalty.--Section 924(a) of such title is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(7)(A) The Attorney General shall impose a civil fine of $1,000
on whomever knowingly violates section 922(z).
``(B) In the case of the 2nd such violation by a person who is
licensed under this chapter, the Atorney General shall, in addition,
suspend the license for the 30-day period beginning with the date on
which the Attorney General finds that the person has committed the
violation.
``(C) In the case of the 3rd or subsequent such violation by a
person who is licensed under this chapter, the Attorney General shall
immediately revoke the license, and the person shall thereafter be
ineligible for a license under this chapter.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to conduct engaged in after January 1, 2006.
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