House Agrees to Push Gun Control Bill
Dateline: 03/15/00
The House of Representatives today passed by a vote of 218 - 205 a "motion to instruct conferees" on H.R. 1501 - - The Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Act of 1999 this week. The act includes the controversial "gun show" and "trigger lock" gun control provisions.
The motion to instruct conferees requires the House and Senate conference committee considering H.R. 1501 to consider and issue a report on the bill within two weeks. The bill cannot be considered by the full House until the report of the conference committee has been issued. The bill has been held in the conference committee for over eight months.
President Clinton has called upon Congress to "finish the gun bill [H.R. 1501] and send it to me for the anniversary of the Columbine tragedy April 20."
Some sections of H.R. 1501 specifically directed at gun control include:
Require Brady Act background checks and further regulate sale and transfer of firearms at gun shows. (The "gun show" provision.)
Prohibit a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer from selling, delivering, or transferring a handgun to anyone other than a licensed person unless the transferee is provided with a secure gun storage or safety device, with exceptions. (The "trigger lock" provision.)
Increase penalties for sale or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon or a large capacity ammunition feeding device to a juvenile.
Increase penalties for possession by a juvenile of a handgun, ammunition, or semiautomatic assault weapon.
President Clinton's demand to Congress came in response to the Feb. 29 shooting of the Kayla Rolland by her six-year-old classmate at Buell Elementary near Flint, Michigan
The president suggested that a trigger lock might have prevented the shooting and urged Congress not to be intimidated by pressure from the NRA.
"I know the gun lobby is cranking up pressure on Congress again, but when first graders shoot first graders, it's time for Congress to do what's right for America's families," stated Mr. Clinton.
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