Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) An estimated 4,600,000 minors in the United States live in homes with at least 1 unsecured firearm. (2) Seventy-three percent of children under the age of 10 living in homes with firearms reported knowing the location of their parents’ firearms. Thirty-six percent of those children reported handling their parents’ unsecured firearms. (3) The presence of unsecured firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional and intentional shootings. Over 75 percent of firearms used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional firearm injuries were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend. (4) The United States Secret Service and the Department of Education report that in 65 percent of deadly school shootings, the attacker obtained the firearm from his or her own home or that of a relative. (5) In the last decade, nearly 2,000,000 firearms have been reported stolen. In 2016 alone, 238,000 firearms were reported stolen in the United States. Between 2010 and 2016, police recovered more than 23,000 stolen firearms across jurisdictions that were used to commit kidnappings, armed robberies, sexual assaults, murders, and other violent crimes. (6) Higher levels of neighborhood gun violence drive depopulation, discourage commercial activity, and decrease property values, resulting in fewer business establishments, fewer jobs, lower home values, and lower home ownership rates. (7) The negative economic impact of gun violence in communities is tied directly to the national economy and interstate commerce. (8) Congress has the power under the interstate commerce clause and other provisions of the Constitution of the United States to enact measures ensuring firearms are securely stored.