[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 610 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 610
To provide grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase firearms
needed to perform law enforcement duties.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 26, 2001
Mr. Torricelli introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase firearms
needed to perform law enforcement duties.
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 ``Police Gun Buyback Assistance Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Buford Furrow, a white supremacist, used a Glock pistol
decommissioned and sold by a law enforcement agency in the
State of Washington, to shoot children at a Jewish community
center in Los Angeles and kill a postal worker.
(2) Twelve firearms were recently stolen during shipment
from the Miami-Dade Police Department to Chicago, Illinois.
Four of these firearms have been traced to crimes in Chicago,
Illinois, including a shooting near a playground.
(3) In the past 9 years, decommissioned firearms once used
by law enforcement agencies have been involved in more than
3,000 crimes, including 293 homicides, 301 assaults, and 279
drug-related crimes.
(4) Many State and local law enforcement departments also
engage in the practice of reselling firearms that were involved
in the commission of a crime and confiscated. Often these
firearms are assault weapons that were in circulation prior to
the restrictions imposed by the Violent Crime Control and Law
Enforcement Act of 1994.
(5) Law enforcement departments in the States of New York
and Georgia, the City of Chicago, and other localities have
adopted the practice of destroying decommissioned firearms.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to reduce the number of
firearms on the streets by assisting State and local law enforcement
agencies in eliminating the practice of transferring decommissioned
firearms to any person.
SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) Grants.--The Attorney General may make grants to States or
units of local government--
(1) to assist States and units of local government in
purchasing new firearms without transferring decommissioned
firearms to any person; and
(2) to destroy decommissioned firearms.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), to be
eligible to receive a grant under this Act, a State or unit of
local government shall certify that it has in effect a law or
official policy that--
(A) eliminates the practice of transferring any
decommissioned firearm to any person; and
(B) provides for the destruction of a
decommissioned firearm.
(2) Exception.--A State or unit of local government may
transfer a decommissioned firearm to a law enforcement agency.
(c) Use of Funds.--A State or unit of local government that
receives a grant under this Act shall only use that grant to purchase
new firearms.
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.
(a) State Applications.--To request a grant under this Act, the
chief executive of a State shall submit an application, signed by the
Attorney General of the State requesting the grant, to the Attorney
General in such form and containing such information as the Attorney
General may reasonably require.
(b) Local Applications.--To request a grant under this Act, the
chief executive of a unit of local government shall submit an
application, signed by the chief law enforcement officer in the unit of
local government requesting the grant, to the Attorney General in such
form and containing such information as the Attorney General may
reasonably require.
SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Attorney General shall promulgate regulations to implement this Act,
which shall specify the information that must be included and the
requirements that the States and units of local government must meet in
submitting applications for grants under this Act.
SEC. 6. REPORTING.
(a) In General.--A State or unit of local government shall report
to the Attorney General not later than 2 years after funds are received
under this Act, regarding the implementation of this Act.
(b) Budget Assurances.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall include budget assurances that any future purchase of a firearm
by a law enforcement agency will be possible without transferring a
decommissioned firearm.
SEC. 7. DEFINITION.
In this Act:
(1) Decommissioned firearm.--The term ``decommissioned
firearm'' means a firearm--
(A) that is no longer in service or use by a law
enforcement agency; or
(B) that was involved in the commission of a crime
and was confiscated and is no longer needed for
evidentiary purposes.
(2) Firearm.--The term ``firearm'' has the same meaning
given that term in section 921(a)(3) of title 18, United States
Code.
(3) Person.--The term ``person'' has the same meaning
given that term in section 1 of title 1, United States Code.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2896)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2896-2897)
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