From the Office of Senator Kerry

Wednesday, June 28, 2000

Washington, D.C. – Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) today introduced gun safety lock legislation that would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to create basic safety standards for gun safety locks and ensure that only safe trigger locks are available for purchase by consumers. This standard would require that gun safety locks are sufficiently difficult for children to deactivate or remove and that gun safety locks prevent the discharge of the handgun unless the gun safety lock has been deactivated or removed. This legislation will not require the use of gun safety locks nor does it seek to regulate guns; rather; it seeks only to ensure that the gun safety locks purchased by consumers will function as intended. The CPSC currently does not have the authority to regulate guns.

"It's popular to talk about gun trigger locks as a cure-all to gun violence -- but unless we can count on gun locks to be safe and secure, we can't count on guns staying out of the hands of our kids. Today, trigger locks are not subject to even basic safety standards. This legislation would ensure that those who have brought us safe child seats and childproof caps on pill bottles will put in place basic standards to ensure that gun safety locks work as they should," said Senator John Kerry. "Last year, accidental shootings accounted for 7 percent of child deaths and more than 300 children died in gun accidents, almost one child every day. It's time for Congress to come together in a bipartisan way to pass common-sense legislation that puts children ahead of politics and makes our country safer."

"While the goal of safety locks is to prevent accidental shootings, many products on the market today are inadequate to prevent such a tragedy," said Senator DeWine. "Parents should not have to guess when it comes to the safety of their children – the wrong decision could be a deadly decision. Minimum safety standards will empower parents to purchase safety locks that are safe and effective and will help prevent children in their home from becoming a tragic statistic."

Ann Brown, Chairman, of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said, "One of the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) main responsibilities is to keep kids safe. That is what this bill asks us to do. This bill directs CPSC to develop a safety standard for gun locks. At present there is a wide range of different gun locks on the market. There is no national standard for gun locks. If Congress passes legislation directing CPSC to issue a standard, I would welcome it. I commend Senators Kerry and DeWine for introducing this vital legislation today."

"Safety locks on handguns are becoming standard equipment, but we must assure that the locks themselves are safe and effective. This bill will see that they are," said Sarah Brady, Chair of Handgun Control, the nation's largest citizens' gun safety lobbying organization, which strongly supports the Kerry-DeWine legislation.

Alan Korn, of the National Safe Kids campaign said, "Using a safety lock to keep guns out of children's hands only works if the lock does- and one of the best ways to truly measure a lock's effectiveness is through government testing and oversight. Most consumer products- from teddy bears to toasters- are regulated by the federal government, yet gun locks are not. Over the past year, SAFE KIDS has collected more than 40 different kinds of gun locks sold on the market. We applaud Senator John Kerry and Senator Mike DeWine for their leadership on this critical safety initiative."

"The Children's Defense Fund applauds Senator Kerry and DeWine for their legislation to establish safety standards for gun safety locks. Gun safety locks can't protect children if they don't work and if they are not used. Requiring manufacturers to meet safety standards is a minimal requirement that should be enacted," said Susanne Martinez, Senior Vice-President for Policy at the Children's Defense Fund.

The use of gun safety locks is increasing in the United States. Many gun owners purchase gun safety locks to ensure safe storage of their handguns and to prevent children from gaining access to weapons. In some states, like Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, and New Jersey, gun locks are required at the time handguns are purchased. Seventeen states have Child Firearm Access Prevention (CAP) laws that permit prosecution of adults if their firearm is left unsecured and a child uses that firearm to harm themself or others. Last year, the Senate passed an amendment to the juvenile justice bill last year that would require the use of gun safety locks.

Despite the growing use of gun safety locks, trigger locks are not subject to even minimal safety standards. Many trigger locks, safety locks, lock boxes, and other similar devices are inadequate to prevent the accidental discharge of the firearms to which they are attached or to prevent access and accidental use by young children. Consumers do not have any objective criteria with which to judge the quality of gun safety locks. The Kerry-DeWine legislation would empower the CPSC to create basic safety standards and empower consumers to purchase trigger locks that deliver real peace of mind and protect against accidental misuse and misfiring.

###