PRINTER'S NO. 3566
No. 505 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY FRANKEL, L. I. COHEN, BARD, BISHOP, M. COHEN,
COSTA, CURRY, FREEMAN, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HORSEY, LEVDANSKY,
MELIO, PESCI, PISTELLA, RAMOS, ROONEY, WATERS, WILLIAMS AND
YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 15, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 15, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its political
2 subdivisions to purchase firearms from manufacturers who take
3 steps to make their weapons safer.
4 WHEREAS, There are 68 communities across the United States
5 which have pledged to purchase police force guns from
6 manufacturers which make a safer product that cannot be easily
7 accessed by criminals and children; and
8 WHEREAS, Oakland, California; Kansas City, Missouri;
9 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; and Richmond,
10 Virginia have recently committed to this effort which is known
11 as the Safer Guns Coalitions; and
12 WHEREAS, The United States Department of Housing and Urban
13 Development has said that it will seek to have its 3,200 public
14 housing authorities give preferential treatment to manufacturers
15 who produce safer guns; and
16 WHEREAS, This effort is designed to bolster a landmark deal
17 reached between the government and the largest gunmaker in the
1 United States, Smith & Wesson Corporation; and
2 WHEREAS, Smith & Wesson has agreed to fit trigger locks and
3 develop smart gun technology to prevent anyone but the owner of
4 a particular weapon from firing the weapon; and
5 WHEREAS, Smith & Wesson has agreed to restrict its sales to
6 licensed dealers who conduct background checks of buyers; and
7 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth and members of the Safer Guns
8 Coalition will use their considerable purchasing power to
9 encourage gun manufacturers to produce safer guns; therefore be
10 it
11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
12 Commonwealth to join the Safer Guns Coalition and strongly
13 encourage its departments, agencies and political subdivisions,
14 including local governments within this Commonwealth, to
15 purchase firearms from manufacturers who voluntarily take steps
16 to make their weapons safer.
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