PA Bill Number: HB660
Title: Providing for minimum energy and water efficiency standards for certain products sold in this Commonwealth; imposing penalties; and making repeals.
Description: Providing for minimum energy and water efficiency standards for certain products sold in this Commonwealth; imposing penalties; and making repeal ...
Last Action: Referred to Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure
Last Action Date: Feb 13, 2026
Smart guns show promise but face hurdles :: 03/23/2016
In January, President Obama made research into technology to make guns safer a national priority.
Smartphones are locked with a pass code, and some with a fingerprint sensor. But guns, left loaded and ready to fire, can be used by children who accidentally stumble upon them or thieves who steal them. Wouldn’t using “smart guns” — firearms that don’t work without electronic confirmation of ownership — make communities safer?
In January, President Obama delivered a series of executive actions on guns to address gun violence. One of the initiatives included more research into gun safety technologies, in particular smart guns. Although these preventive technologies might not decrease mass shootings, because often those shooters use legally bought and owned weapons, smart guns could help prevent accidental deaths.
Gun advocates say manufacturers already put safety mechanisms on guns and more restrictions end up punishing responsible gun owners who already store their firearms safely. They also fear that the new technology might not be dependable.
Smart gun models are ready to be sold in stores, but opposition from the gun lobby is a formidable obstacle to the adoption of the technology. In 2014, the first commercially available smart gun in the U.S. went on sale but was quickly pulled after pressure from gun advocates. And this year, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, only one exhibitor presented smart gun technology, according to CNET.
However, the Obama administration is committed to advancing the technology. A White House statement said, “As the single largest purchaser of firearms in the country, the federal government has a unique opportunity to advance this research and ensure that smart gun technology becomes a reality.”
