Childproof Handgun Act of 2005

The Childproof Handgun Act of 2005 proposes a federal mandate requiring all handguns manufactured or sold in the United States to be "personalized" with technology that prevents them from being fired by anyone other than the authorized owner. Under this bill, handguns would need to include built-in safety features that are difficult to deactivate and allow for one or more specific users to be programmed into the device.

For the average citizen, this would mean that new handguns available for purchase would eventually be limited to "smart guns" designed to recognize the owner’s identity, though exceptions would remain for law enforcement and government agencies. Additionally, the bill requires a government study to determine if this technology is reliable and affordable enough for widespread commercial use within a five-year period.