H.R. 1037·High School Intermediate
A Bill to Require Secure Storage for Firearms in Homes with Minors
Rep. Mendez (D-FL)
Federal misdemeanor to store firearms unsecured in homes with minors.
Sec. 1 — Mandate
A firearm owner in a household with a minor present shall store firearms unloaded and secured in a locked container or with a tamper-resistant lock.
Sec. 2 — Penalty
Federal misdemeanor; up to 1 year imprisonment or $1,000 fine.
Sec. 3 — Funding
$50 million in lock-distribution grants.
Sec. 4 — Enforcement
ATF enforcement.
Tournament Prep
Mechanical parts, sourced & timed
Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.
- Bill / Number
- H.R. 1037 — A Bill to Require Secure Storage for Firearms in Homes with Minors
- Funding source
- $50M in lock-distribution grants from DOJ.
- Timeline
- Effective 180 days after enactment.
- Realistic — 26 states already have storage laws.
- Enforcing agency
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
- Partial — ATF traditionally enforces federal firearms statutes, but home-storage enforcement raises 4th Amendment questions.
- Penalty for non-compliance
- Federal misdemeanor; up to 1 year imprisonment or $1,000 fine.
- Source citation
- RAND Corporation (2023), 'The Effects of Child Access Prevention Laws' — rand.org.
- Delivery time (read aloud)
- 1:05 (65s)
Strongest counter-argument
Storage laws disarm gun owners during home invasions, when speed matters most.
Your pre-emptive answer
RAND (2023) found CAP laws reduce youth firearm suicide by 13% with no measurable change in self-defense outcomes. Modern biometric quick-access safes open in under 2 seconds — the speed trade-off is technologically obsolete.