Brasília, October 24, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - On Thursday (23), the Chamber of Deputies approved the Disarmament Statute.

Among the main points covered by the Disarmament Statute are: the prohibition against bearing arms, except for members of the Armed Forces, Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, Federal Railway Police, civil police, military police, military fire fighters, prison agents and guards, Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) operatives, and municipal guards in capitals and cities with over 500 thousand inhabitants; and the prohibition against firearm sales to individuals under 25 years-old, except those authorized to bear arms.

The illegal bearing of arms becomes a crime ineligible for bail; the National Arms System (Sinarm) is established to register firearms that are produced, imported, and sold, leaving the Federal Police in charge of authorizations and renewals; license fees are lowered from R$ 1 thousand to R$ 600; all arms should be registered in the Sinarm. According to the statute, for someone to acquire a legal firearm, he or she must demonstrate fitness, showing a clean police slate, as well as technical and psychological capacity to handle weapons. An amendment imposes the same requirements on private security guards.

A general referendum to prohibit the sale of weapons and munition was instituted, on a date to be determined independently in the future. Elimination of the date originally set for the referendum - October, 2004 - was one of the changes made in the project in the Chamber. These changes should be analyzed by the Senate, where voting on the Statute originated. (DAS)