THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                  CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SYMPOSIUM ON 
                        YOUTH VIOLENCE AND CRIME
                             June 11, 1997

Announcement

• Today, President Clinton announced he will act to further restrict youth access to guns by directing the Treasury Department to publish regulations requiring federal firearms licensees to post signs and issue written notifications warning handgun purchasers about transferring guns to minors.

Background

• Guns are at the heart of our nation's youth violence epidemic. Guns --and handguns in particular -- have fueled the surge in juvenile murders. Since 1984, the number of juveniles killing with a gun has quadrupled. And teenage boys today are more likely to die of gunshot wounds than all natural causes combined.
• The Administration's juvenile crime legislation gets tough on guns by: increasing penalties for illegally transferring guns to juveniles; expanding the Brady Law to prohibit violent juveniles from owning guns as adults; and requiring federal gun dealers to provide child safety locks with every gun sold.
• The President believes there is more we must do to cut off the easy access to guns for our kids. For almost every gun that gets into a juvenile's hands, an adult had an opportunity to stop that transfer from taking place.
• The President's directive ensures that Treasury will do everything in its power to put adult gun purchasers on notice about their legal obligation to keep handguns away from our kids. The directive calls for Treasury to issue regulations requiring all FFLs to post signs and issue written warnings with each handgun sold that:

(1) Make clear that it is generally illegal for any adult to transfer a handgun to a minor, or for minors to possess a handgun; (2) Make clear that violation of the prohibition on transferring a handgun to a juvenile may be punishable by up to 10 years in prison; (3) Warn that handguns are a leading contributor to juvenile violence and fatalities; and (4) State that safely storing and locking handguns will help ensure compliance with this law.

Clinton Administration's Anti-Gang and Youth Violence Strategy

• The President's strategy seeks to break the back of violent gangs, reduce youth violence, and provide kids with alternatives to steer them away from gangs, guns, and drugs. In addition to getting tough on guns, his strategy includes $200 million for local prosecutors, probation officers, and anti-gang task forces and funds after school programs to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble.