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.

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

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.

END