Juvenile Firearms Safety Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9399
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-23: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-02T22:19:22Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends federal criminal law to establish penalties for adults who provide firearms to juveniles or fail to secure them, when the firearms are later used in crimes or cause harm.
Key Provisions
- New prohibitions in 18 U.S.C. § 922(aa):
- It is unlawful for a person 18 or older to knowingly give a firearm (other than a handgun) to a juvenile when they know or have reasonable cause to believe the juvenile intends to use it for self-harm or crime.
- It is unlawful to store a firearm that has moved in interstate commerce if a juvenile is likely to access it unauthorized and then uses it in a crime or causes injury or death.
- Courts may consider factors such as prior warnings about the juvenile’s mental health, history of violence, or known suicidality when determining violations.
- Safe storage exceptions apply if the firearm is locked, stored securely, or carried on the person.
- The law does not restrict lawful firearm use by juveniles with parental permission or alter existing rules on minors transferring firearms.
- Penalties in 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(9):
- Basic violation: fine, up to 1 year imprisonment, or both.
- Firearm used in a crime: up to 2 years.
- Unsafe storage leading to juvenile access and injury/death: up to 5 years.
- Knowing provision leading to injury/death: up to 10 years.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds new criminal offenses to existing federal firearms statutes (title 18), creating liability based on an adult’s knowledge of a juvenile’s intent or failure to prevent unauthorized access, rather than solely on direct transfer or possession violations.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases workload for federal prosecutors and courts handling new cases involving storage and knowledge standards.
- Citizens: Encourages stricter firearm storage practices among gun owners with minors in the household; may affect parents or guardians.
- International relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Gun owners and households with juveniles.
- Parents and guardians.
- Juveniles.
- Law enforcement and federal prosecutors.
- Courts and the judicial system.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure introduces new standards of knowledge and storage responsibility in criminal law. It may raise questions about the scope of federal authority over firearm storage and the level of proof required for intent or foreseeability, though it includes explicit protections for lawful supervised use.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-23: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-23: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-23: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Juvenile Firearms Safety Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-23 — PDF (5 pages)