Maryland Passes Gun Lock Legislation, Washington Post Reports
Washington, April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Maryland will become the first state in the U.S. to require built-in locks for all new handguns, after its House of Delegates approved the measure yesterday 83-57, the Washington Post reported. The bill, which Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, a Democrat, said he will sign soon, will require all new handguns sold in the state after October 1 to come with separate trigger locks, and after January 1, 2003, will require locks to be built into all new guns, the Post said. The legislation would also set minimum five-year sentences for some gun violations, prevent anyone convicted of a violent crime as a juvenile from owning a handgun until age 30, and would require manufacturers to provide police with a shell casing from each gun sold in the state in order to help trace weapons used in a crime, the Post reported.
Tompkins Plc's Smith & Wesson unit, the largest U.S. gun manufacturer, said last week it will put safety locks on all guns it makes and introduce firearms designed with ``smart gun' technology within three years.
Apr/04/2000 7:58
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