DELAWARE - US Senator Chris Coons (D-Del) reintroduced legislation that would require gun owners to safely and securely store their firearms. Known as Ethan’s Law, the proposed bill mandates gun owners secure all firearms in a “secure gun storage or safety device”. The requirements would apply to homes where a minor is likely to gain access to a firearm without permission, or if a member of the household cannot legally possess a firearm under existing law.
Ethan’s Law is named for Ethan Song, a teenager from Guilford, Connecticut who was killed at a neighbor’s home with an unsecured gun in 2018.
“I know you don’t think it can happen to you. I didn’t either,” Ethan’s mother, Kristin Song, said. “Our goal in passing Ethan’s Law is to create a cultural shift where it becomes second nature for gun owners to secure their weapons if they are not in their immediate control. This law will not stop all the shootings, but it will stop many, and to those children and parents, that is priceless.”
Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) joined Coons in sponsoring the legislation.
Senator Coons says, “Congress should honor Ethan and the far too many American children who have been taken from us too early due to preventable tragedy by passing this bill and tackling one part of the gun violence epidemic in our nation.”
The bill also establishes strong penalties for violations.
A similar safe storage law was passed in Delaware in 2019. Ethan’s Law would take effect on the federal level.
The full text of the Senate legislation can be found here.
