This bill, titled Ethan's Law, would add a federal rule that requires people who control a residence to keep guns stored safely when a minor is likely to get access or when a resident is not allowed to have a gun. The bill adds an offense to 18 U.S.C. 922 that makes it illegal to store a firearm in those situations unless the gun is secured by a safety device, kept in a location a reasonable person would believe is secure, or the person is carrying the firearm on their body or very close by. Penalties include a $500 fine per violation, and an enhanced penalty of fines and up to 5 years in prison if an improperly stored gun is obtained and causes injury or death. Firearms stored in violation may be seized and forfeited. The bill creates a federal grant program to help States and Indian Tribes that pass laws like this one and gives grant application preference for certain discretionary grants for fiscal years 2025–2029. It also includes a "sense of Congress" that failure to secure a gun is negligence and can be a legal cause of harm. The bill includes findings about child access, stolen guns, and links to school shootings, and a severability clause.
Proponents, as reflected in the bill's findings, say the measure will reduce child access to guns, lower accidental shootings and youth suicides, help prevent attackers from getting guns from homes in deadly school shootings, and reduce gun thefts that supply crime. They also note community economic harms from gun violence and state that Congress has authority to act under the Commerce Clause.
No publicly available information.