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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) reintroduced the Defective Firearms Protection Act, a bill that would allow the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to address safety defects in firearms similarly to any other consumer product by issuing safety warnings and recalls if necessary. Currently, firearms are excluded from the definition of a consumer product, which prohibits the CPSC from addressing safety issues in firearms.
 
“The gun industry is the only domestic manufacturer of a consumer product in the United States that is exempt from federal health and safety regulations,” Dingell said. “As a result, faulty guns that can be fired with the safety still engaged and without anyone pulling the trigger remain on the market. This is dangerous and poses a real risk to public and household safety. We shouldn’t hold firearms to a different standard than any other consumer product. If someone’s gun isn’t working right, the commission should be able to recall it.”
 
Recent reporting found more than 100 cases of people who allege their SIG Sauer P320 pistol, one of the most popular handguns in America, has discharged without them touching the trigger. At least 80 of these people, including both civilians and law enforcement officers, sustained injuries in the shootings.
 
The Defective Firearms Protection Act would help prevent such accidents by removing barriers in current law that prevent the CPSC from addressing defective pistols, revolvers, or firearms.
 
For a copy of the bill text, please click here.