Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

Cardoza is the lead co-sponsor of the legislation, which was authored by Congressman Ron Lewis, R-KY, and modeled after a bill Cardoza wrote while serving in the California State Assembly.

“This legislation is a practical way to solve problems that we hear about all too often,” Cardoza said.  “We need to do more to encourage gun owners to invest gun safes.  Storing firearms safely helps prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and protects against gun accidents resulting from misuse.”

The Child Protection and Home Safety Act, H.R. 947, will provide individuals a 25 percent tax credit on the cost of a gun safe up to the amount of $250.  Nearly one-third of all violent crime in the United States is committed with guns stolen from the homes of law abiding Americans.

“Gun safety is an issue that unites people from all ideologies concerned with protecting the welfare of children and securing homes,” Lewis said.

A bipartisan collection of Members of Congress have committed early support to the bill.  In a joint statement to congressional colleagues, Lewis and Cardoza wrote, “We believe this incentive is an important way to better encourage the use of safes, advancing our shared goal of reducing cases of theft, accidental injury and death because of irresponsible firearm storage.”

In addition to growing bipartisan support in the House, the National Gun Safe Coalition has joined the effort with their endorsement of the bill.  “Gun safes are the only method of securing firearms from unauthorized access,” said National Gun Safe Coalition Representative Caren Turner.  “Anything else gives purchasers a false sense of security.”

H.R. 947 has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee.