Sponsor
Brittany Pettersen
Representative · D-CO
Representative · D-CO
The bill aims to reduce accidental shootings, suicides, and firearm theft by funding free secured storage and storage programs, trading modest new federal spending and increased administrative burden — and potential resistance from some gun owners — for expected reductions in unsecured firearms and related harms.
State and local governments that receive grants can set up evidence-based firearm storage programs to reduce suicides and unintentional shootings by funding outreach, training, and distribution strategies.
People at higher risk of accidental shootings or theft (homeowners, parents and families) receive free secured storage devices, reducing the number of unsecured firearms in homes and lowering immediate risks of accidental injury or death.
Providing free safes to households may lower firearm theft and diversion, which can reduce crimes involving stolen guns and ease investigative and enforcement burdens on law enforcement.
States and local agencies must run procurement and distribution programs for safes, creating new administrative workload and implementation costs for government staff and budgets.
The bill expands federal grant spending to cover safes and program activities, increasing costs borne by taxpayers without specified offsets.
Some gun owners may view receiving government-distributed safes or participating in storage programs as intrusive, leading to resistance that could limit uptake and complicate outreach efforts.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows Byrne formula grant funds to be used to buy and give gun safes or similar locking devices to individuals for free.
Official title: To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide that grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program may be used for gun safe giveaway programs, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Brittany Pettersen · Last progress February 9, 2026
Allows Byrne Justice Assistance formula grant funds to be used to provide gun safes and similar locking devices to individuals at no cost. The bill adds a new authorized use to the Byrne program, defining eligible locking devices and explicitly permitting local agencies to run programs that distribute them free to firearm owners. This change expands the range of permitted uses for existing federal public safety grant money but does not itself appropriate new funds or change eligibility for Byrne grants.