Juvenile Firearms Safety Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9399 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9399

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for criminal
  penalties for a person who provides fire arms to juveniles if such
 firearms are thereafter used for the commission of a criminal offense.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2026

Mr. Casten (for himself and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill;
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for criminal
  penalties for a person who provides fire arms to juveniles if such
 firearms are thereafter used for the commission of a criminal offense.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Juvenile Firearms Safety Act of
2026''.

SEC. 2. UNLAWFUL ACTS.

    Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
    ``(aa)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person who is 18 years of age
or older to--
                    ``(A) knowingly provide a firearm, other than a
                handgun, to a juvenile (as such term is defined in
                subsection (x)(5)), knowing or having reasonable cause
                to believe that the juvenile intends to use such
                firearm for self-harm or in the commission of a crime;
                or
                    ``(B) knowingly store or keep any firearm that has
                moved in, or that has otherwise affected, interstate or
                foreign commerce on the premises of a residence,
                vehicle, or facility under the control of the person
                if--
                            ``(i) the person knows, or reasonably
                        should know, that a juvenile is likely to gain
                        unauthorized access to the firearm; and
                            ``(ii) a juvenile obtains the firearm and
                        uses the firearm in the commission of a crime
                        or causes injury or death to such juvenile, or
                        any other individual.
            ``(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) a fact finder may
        consider other relevant factors, including if the person--
                    ``(A) has received outreach about concerns about
                the juvenile's mental health from the juvenile, the
                juvenile's parent or guardian, other parents, school
                administration, law enforcement, medical professionals,
                or other adults;
                    ``(B) has knowledge of prior acts of violence
                against others by the juvenile; or
                    ``(C) has knowledge of suicidality on the part of
                the juvenile, including previous acts of self harm.
            ``(3) Paragraph (1)(B) does not apply to a person if the
        person--
                    ``(A) keeps the firearm--
                            ``(i) secure using a secure gun storage or
                        safety device; or
                            ``(ii) in a location which a reasonable
                        person would believe to be secure; or
                    ``(B) carries the firearm on his or her person or
                within such close proximity thereto that the person can
                readily retrieve and use the firearm as if the person
                carried the firearm on his or her person.
        Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a
        juvenile from engaging in lawful activities involving the use
        of a firearm, with the permission of the parent or guardian of
        the juvenile. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to
        affect any existing law related to consequences of a minor
        providing a firearm to another minor or to affect any existing
        law related to an adult's responsibility for a crime committed
        by a third party minor who did not access the adult's weapon
        directly.''.

SEC. 3. PENALTIES.

    Section 924(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) Whoever knowingly violates subsection (aa) of section
        922--
                    ``(A) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned
                for not more than 1 year, or both;
                    ``(B) if the firearm is used in the commission of a
                crime, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for
                not more than 2 years, or both;
                    ``(C) if the juvenile obtains the firearm pursuant
                to a violation of (aa)(1)(B), and the juvenile causes
                injury or death to such juvenile, or any other
                individual, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned
                for not more than 5 years, or both; or
                    ``(D) if a person provides the juvenile with the
                firearm in violation of (aa)(1)(A), and the juvenile
                causes injury or death to such juvenile, or any other
                individual, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned
                for not more than 10 years, or both.''.
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