 |
FIREARMS
SAFETY PROJECT
|  |
In
July 2000 the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition (MCC) committed
to work with the Consumer
Federation of America Foundation (CFAF) to promote
The
Firearms Safety and Consumer Protection Act.
|
Most
consumers are shocked to learn that their
refrigerators, cars, and children's teddy bears are more
regulated
than guns. The objective of MCC’s Firearms
Safety Project is
to redefine gun policy to include the view
that gun safety can be regulated. The history of consumer
product
regulation
teaches that a significant number of deaths,
injuries and illnesses can be prevented as a result of
health
and safety
standards. The consumer product approach
has worked to reduce product-related death and injury for
thousands
of other products, we believe it will work
with guns.
Guns kill or injure more than 90,000 Americans each year.
Yet, guns are virtually the only consumer product
not regulated for health and safety. Congress has given
regulatory authority
to federal agencies to assure that almost all consumer
products in America are safe. For example, the Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates the safety
of nearly 15,000 consumer products used in or around
the home.
But no federal agency has the power to ensure that
guns manufactured and sold are safe.
|
|
THE FIREARMS SAFETY AND CONSUMER
PROTECTION ACT
|
Under
the
Firearms
Safety and Consumer Protection Act, the Department
of the Treasury would have consumer protection authority
to
regulate the design, manufacture, and distribution of
guns and
ammunition. The authority would also include the ability
to set safety standards, issue recalls and safety warnings
about
defective guns, collect data on gun deaths and injuries, and
ban products when no other remedy is sufficient. The bill
works
to reduce gun deaths andinjuries in America by taking a
public health approach to gun violence and working to hold
the gun
industry to the same health and safety standards that apply
to virtually all other consumer products.
|
THE
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PROTECTION ACT
OF 2003
|
The current federal Assault Weapons Ban on the
production of semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity
ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds will expire
on September 13, 2004 – unless Congress acts to renew the law.
Military-style assault weapons have the capacity to kill large
numbers of people in seconds and have no place on our streets.
The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of
2003 will not only make the assault weapon and high-capacity
magazine ban permanent, but also will significantly strengthen
current law. The bill would:
| *
Improve and simplify the definition of “assault weapon”. |
| *
Close the “parts kit” loophole. |
| *
Clarify definitions of assault weapon characteristics. |
| *
Regulate transfer of “grandfathered” assault weapons. |
| * Enhance tracing of assault weapons. |
| *
Ban post-ban guns equipped with pre-ban high-capacity
magazines. |
| *
Prohibit possession of assault weapons by juveniles. |
|
GET
INVOLVED AND LEARN MORE ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION:
|
 |
MCC
seeks to educate the public about the need to regulate
guns as consumer products through media presentations,
public service announcements, distribution of educational
brochures, and participation in community events. If
you are interested in learning more about this new approach
to regulate firearms as a consumer product or would like
us to assist you with an event, contact us. We can provide
you with copies of CFAF’s Teddy
Bear & Gun Brochure and The Violence Policy
Center’s Teddy
Bear & Gun Poster. |
|
NATIONAL
LINKS - Several national groups are organizing the
fight to end gun violence:
|
| STATE
LINKS - People in Massachusetts
taking action against gun violence:
|
