This bill matters because it aims to make gun safety locks a standard part of every firearm transaction, which supporters believe could significantly reduce accidental shootings, suicides, and firearm thefts, particularly involving children or unauthorized users. By broadening the requirement to include all types of firearms and all sellers, including private ones, it seeks to make secure storage devices more accessible and promote their use as a routine safety measure. If this bill becomes law, gun buyers would almost always receive a safety device, and all sellers would have new responsibilities.

If the bill does not become law, the current federal requirement for providing gun locks would remain limited to handguns sold by licensed dealers. This means that many firearms, especially rifles, shotguns, and those involved in private sales, would continue to be transferred without an accompanying safety device, potentially leading to fewer firearms being stored securely and continuing existing risks associated with unsecured firearms.