1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime prevention; requiring guns to be 
  1.3             stored unloaded and locked where children are present; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 609.666, 
  1.5             subdivisions 1 and 2. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 609.666, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] For purposes of this 
  1.10  section, the following words have the meanings given. 
  1.11     (a) "Firearm" means a device designed to be used as a 
  1.12  weapon, from which is expelled a projectile by the force of any 
  1.13  explosion or force of combustion. 
  1.14     (b) "Child" means a person under the age of 14 18 years. 
  1.15     (c) "Loaded" means the firearm has ammunition in the 
  1.16  chamber or magazine, if the magazine is in the firearm, unless 
  1.17  the firearm is incapable of being fired by a child who is likely 
  1.18  to gain access to the firearm. 
  1.19     (d) "Locking device" means a device that renders the 
  1.20  firearm inaccessible, and includes without limitation the 
  1.21  following:  a trigger lock, a barrel lock, a cylinder lock, a 
  1.22  gun vault, a locked cabinet, a locked box, or any other 
  1.23  appropriate locked container. 
  1.24     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 609.666, 
  1.25  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [ACCESS TO FIREARMS.] A person is guilty of a 
  2.2   gross misdemeanor who negligently stores or leaves a loaded 
  2.3   firearm in a location where the person knows, or reasonably 
  2.4   should know, that a child is present or resides, and is likely 
  2.5   to gain access, unless reasonable action is taken to secure the 
  2.6   firearm against access by the child.  For this purpose, 
  2.7   reasonable action requires storage of a firearm, unloaded, with 
  2.8   a locking device, and stored separately from its ammunition.