House bill sponsored by Rep. Pettersen expands eligibility for grants funding gun safe giveaways

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen has authored new legislation in the House that seeks to enhance community firearm safety by supporting gun safe giveaway initiatives, the U.S. Congress reports.

H.R.7446 was submitted on Feb. 9, 2026, as part of the 119th Congress’ 2026 regular session. The following summary draws on the bill’s actual text and offers clarification of its language.

This measure proposes an amendment to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, granting the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program authority to fund gun safe giveaway efforts. The proposal defines these efforts as programs offering gun safes or similar storage solutions to individuals without charge, with the goal of strengthening community firearm safety. Officially, the bill carries the title “Community Firearm Safety Act of 2026.”

Rep. Brittany Pettersen (Democrat-CO-7th District) is the bill’s sole sponsor.

Since this session began, Pettersen has brought forward 18 other legislative proposals.

Congress can introduce legislation in either the House or the Senate, although proposals regarding revenue must start in the House. Once filed, measures are sent to committees for deliberation, potential hearings, amendment and discussion before moving to a vote in each chamber. Eligible measures approved in identical form by both bodies advance to the president, who may sign them into law or issue a veto. Congress operates in two-year periods, with each numbered consecutively and split into two annual sessions. Legislative proceedings and official records are overseen by the U.S. Congress and available at Congress.gov.

Brittany Pettersen represents Colorado and was born on December 6, 1981. She completed her B.A. at Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2006. Her previous roles include positions in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2013 through 2018 and the Colorado Senate from 2019 to 2022, before her election to the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress in January 2023.

Details for this article came from the U.S. Congress. Source material is available here.