# Ethan's Law: What You Need to Know About Firearm Storage Requirements

Ethan's Law would make it a federal crime for gun owners to leave firearms unsecured in their homes if they know or should know that a minor could access them or if someone living in the house is legally prohibited from owning guns. The law applies to any firearm that has crossed state lines or affected interstate commerce, which covers virtually all guns sold in America. Gun owners could comply by using a secure storage device like a locked safe or gun lock, keeping the firearm in a location a reasonable person would consider secure, or carrying the gun on their person at all times.

The penalties for violating this law would start at $500 per violation for basic non-compliance. However, if a minor or prohibited person actually gets the gun and someone gets injured or killed, the gun owner could face up to five years in prison and fines. Additionally, any improperly stored firearm could be seized by authorities. The bill also includes a "sense of Congress" statement suggesting that failing to store guns safely should be considered negligence under state and local law, which could open gun owners up to civil lawsuits from people harmed by unsecured firearms.

To help states enforce these rules, the bill would provide federal grant money to states and Native American tribes that pass similar safe storage laws. States that adopt these laws would also get priority consideration for other federal law enforcement grants. The bill's supporters point to statistics showing that millions of children live in homes with unsecured firearms, and that many school shooters obtained their weapons from their own homes or relatives' homes. The bill is named after Ethan, presumably referencing a real case involving a child and an unsecured firearm.

Ethan's Law

DeLauro, Rosa L.

Ethan's Law This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels. At the federal level, the bill establishes statutory requirements for firearms on residential premises to be safely stored if a minor is likely to gain access without permission or if a resident is ineligible to possess a firearm. An individual who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties. A firearm stored in violation of the requirements is subject to seizure and forfeiture. At the state and tribal levels, the bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to implement functionally identical requirements for the safe storage of firearms.