Handgun Trigger Safety Act of 2015

H.R. 2613: Handgun Trigger Safety Act of 2015

This bill would mandate the development and eventual universal adoption of "personalized handguns," often referred to as smart guns, which use technology to ensure only authorized users can fire them. Under this legislation, the federal government would provide grants to develop this technology, and within five years of enactment, it would become illegal to manufacture any handgun in the United States that does not meet these personalized safety standards. Within ten years, the sale or distribution of any handgun without these features would be prohibited, though exemptions would exist for antique firearms and those used by the Department of Defense.

For the average citizen, this bill would mean that all new handguns purchased in the future would include biometric or proximity-based sensors designed to prevent unauthorized use by children or thieves. Additionally, the bill requires manufacturers to retrofit older, non-personalized handguns with this technology upon a legal owner's request, with the costs of these upgrades reimbursed by the Department of Justice. The bill also adjusts liability protections, potentially allowing manufacturers to be held legally responsible if a handgun produced after the five-year deadline lacks these personalized safety features.