DOVER, Del. (AP) - House lawmakers are set to vote on a bill requiring Delaware gun owners to safely store firearms so they aren't obtained by people who shouldn't have them.
The bill to be considered Tuesday expands an existing provision regarding unlawfully permitting a child access to a firearm to a broader prohibition against "unsafe storage of a firearm."
The bill makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally or recklessly leave a loaded firearm within the reach or easy access of a child or person prohibited from possessing a gun, resulting in the person obtaining the firearm.
A gun owner could face a higher-level misdemeanor if the unauthorized person used the firearm to commit a crime, gave it to another unauthorized person, or used it to seriously injure or kill someone.
