H.R. 4918: Advancing Gun Safety Technology Act

The bill titled the Advancing Gun Safety Technology Act aims to support the development of technology intended to enhance gun safety. It would do this through a pilot program overseen by the Attorney General, specifically through the Director of the National Institute of Justice. Below is a breakdown of the bill's key components:

Gun Safety Technology Pilot Program

The bill authorizes the Attorney General to create a pilot program to provide grants to eligible entities for the development of gun safety technology. The objectives of this program include:

• Purpose: To support the commercialization of technologies that aim to reduce the chances of accidental or unauthorized gun use.
• Application Process: Eligible entities wishing to receive a grant must submit an application that includes a plan and initial design for developing gun safety technology.
• Number of Grants: The Attorney General will issue no fewer than 3 and no more than 5 grants as part of this program.
• Reporting Requirements: Grantees must report on specific milestones in the development of their gun safety technologies, which include:
  • Building a prototype.
  • Conducting reliability testing.
  • Planning for trial production.
  • Preparing for commercialization.

Funding and Appropriation

The bill proposes an appropriation of $10,000,000 for the fiscal year 2026 to fund the pilot program.

Definitions

The bill defines several key terms:

• Eligible Entity: A small business that employs fewer than 500 people, as defined by the Small Business Act.
• Gun: Refers to firearms as defined in U.S. law.
• Gun Safety Technology: Technologies designed to mitigate the risk of accidental or unauthorized use of firearms. This includes innovations like smart guns, user-authorized handguns, childproof guns, personalized guns, as well as safes and locking devices incorporating personalized technology.

Relevant Companies

None found