By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—California: More gun control legislative hearings March 19 and April 2; Colorado: The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners are having a rally to stop the “Semi-Auto Ban” March 19, 8 a.m. at the State Capitol. Remember the State Capitol is a gun-free zone. The House Judiciary Committee passed HB24-1348 a mandatory storage bill for firearms in vehicles. It now will be considered on the House floor; Delaware: The House Judiciary Committee passed HB24-1348, a mandatory storage bill for firearms in vehicles. It now will be considered on the House floor; Georgia: HB1018, Prohibiting the use of firearm-specific-merchant category codes by payment processors for firearms, ammunition, and components, passed the House; Hawaii: SB2845, a prohibition on young adults under the age of 21 from purchasing or possessing ammunition, has passed the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs; Idaho: The Senate State Affairs Committee is holding severable favorable Second Amendment bill while promoting S1418, a school safety bill that gives School Boards discretionary authority in deciding who, what, and how (with training requirements) the employees can carry in schools; Iowa: HF2556, formerly HF518, a bill that adds enforcement to the current firearms preemption law, has passed the House and is now awaiting action on the Senate floor; Kentucky: On March 13, the Senate passed HB357, prohibiting using firearm-specific-merchant category codes by payment processors for firearms, ammunition, and components, and it has been delivered to Gov. Andy Beshear; Maine: The following bills were tabled in the Judiciary Committee: LD2086, redefining “machine guns” to include semi-automatic firearms and firearms’ parts; LD2119, a methodology for Maine citizens to waive their Second Amendment rights; LD2224; red flay law and universal background checks; and LD2238, a three-day waiting period bill; Maryland: SB2, creatinga “handgun qualified purchase card” and a handgun transfer registry, has passed the legislature and now goes to Gov. Wes Moore. SB1097, a gun buyback bill that required the destruction of guns and gun parts, was amended with a new training requirement for firearms instructions that would be mandated by state bureaucrats and then passed by the Senate 45-0. SB488. an anti-firearms industry lawsuit bill was passed in the Senate on March 15 by a 33-12 vote; New Jersey: Attorney General Matt Platkin, who has never met a gun control bill he didn’t love, announced March 14 on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Starting today gun-free zone decals are available at no charge to the public; Rhode Island: A March 13, meeting of the House Judiciary Committee recommended the following bills be held for further study: H7217, a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles; H7268, a bill to require testing before purchase of a firearm; H7269, a one-gun-per-month purchase limit; and H7273, a mandatory storage bill; Tennessee: SB2223, prohibiting the use of firearm-specific-merchant category codes by payment processors for firearms, ammunition, and components, was passed by the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on March 12 on a 7-0 vote. It now goes to the full Senate; Utah: Gov. Spencer Cox has signed HB406; Virginia: Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoes HB46 and SB47 and modified HB498; Wisconsin: Senate Bill 587, implementing a new muzzleloader definition that would allow for new technology to be used, was signed by Governor Tony Evers.
State Legislation and local communities
States that do NOT hold legislative sessions in 2024: Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas,
States that are in session: Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin
California: When you thought there were no more gun bills left to pass, the California legislature is at it again! On March 19, lawmakers will consider SB1038, mandating that lost and stolen firearms be reported to local law enforcement within 48 hours. The current time frame is five days. SB902, expanding the list of misdemeanors that result in a 10-year prohibition on firearms possession. On April 2: SB1160: mandates all firearm owners to re-register their firearms annually with a fee yet to be determined. SB1253 mandates all firearm owners to have a valid Firearm Safety Card with renewal every five years. Two more bills are being considered: SB53, prohibits firearms ownership in the home unless firearms are stored in a locked box only accessible to the gun owner, and AB3067, mandates homeowners insurance companies request firearms information from their customers.
Colorado: The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners are having a rally to stop “Semi-Auto Ban” March 19, 8 a.m. at the State Capitol. Remember the State Capitol is a gun-free zone. The House Judiciary Committee passed HB24-1348 a mandatory storage bill for firearms in vehicles. It now will be considered on the House floor.
Delaware: The Senate passed the Senate Substitute 1 for SB 2, which requires a “handgun qualified purchaser permit” to purchase or receive a handgun. The bill also creates a state registry of all handgun transfers. It now goes to Gov. John Carney.
Georgia: HB1018, Prohibiting the use of firearm-specific-merchant category codes by payment processors for firearms, ammunition, and components, passed the House.
Hawaii: SB2845, a prohibition on young adults under the age of 21 from purchasing or possessing ammunition, has passed the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.
Idaho: SB1317, creating a Gadsden flag license plate, has been held in the Senate State Affairs Committee on a 5-4 vote. SB1374, prohibiting private groups from restricting Second Amendment rights on public property, unless the event is private, has passed the Senate. The House passed H415, which would allow school employees with an enhanced Right-to-Carry License to carry in school. Now Jim Guthrie, chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, where H4415 is awaiting consideration, has introduced S1418, a school safety bill that gives local school boards discretionary authority in deciding who, what, and how (with training requirements) the employees can carry in schools.
Iowa: HF2556, formerly HF518, a bill that adds enforcement to the current firearms preemption law, has passed the House and is now awaiting action on the Senate floor.
Kentucky: On March 13, the Senate passed HB357, prohibiting using firearm-specific-merchant category codes by payment processors for firearms, ammunition, and components, and it has been delivered to Gov. Andy Beshear.
Maine: The following bills were tabled inthe Judiciary Committee: LD2086, redefining “machine guns” to include semi-automatic firearms and firearms’ parts; LD2119, a methodology for Maine citizens to waive their Second Amendment rights; LD2224; red flay law and universal background checks; and LD2238, a three-day waiting period bill.
Maryland: SB2, creating a “handgun qualified purchase card” and a handgun transfer registry, has passed the legislature and now goes to the House on March 14, 2024, and now goes to Gov. Wes Moore. SB1097, a gun buyback bill that required the destruction of guns and gun parts, was amended with a new training requirement for firearms instructions that would be mandated by state bureaucrats and then passed by the Senate 45-0. SB488. an anti-firearms industry lawsuit bill was passed in the Senate on March 15, 2024, by a 33-12 vote.
New Jersey: Attorney General Matt Platkin, who has never met a gun control bill he didn’t love, announced March 14 on X (formerly known as Twitter) that “Starting today gun-free zone decals are available at no charge to the public.” This response to Platkin’s post sums it up.
Rhode Island: A March 13 hearing before the House Judiciary Committee recommended the following bills be held for further study: H7217, a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles; H7268, a bill to require testing before purchase of a firearm; H7269, a one-gun-per-month purchase limit; and H7273, a mandatory storage bill.
Tennessee: SB2223, prohibiting the use of firearm-specific-merchant category codes by payment processors for firearms, ammunition, and components, was passed by the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on March 12 on a 7-0 vote. It now goes to the full Senate.
Utah: Gov. Spencer Cox has signed HB406.
Virginia: The Virginia legislature has adjourned. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed HB46, requiring a gun owner who is the object of a protective order to turn their guns over to someone living at a different address and be at least 21 years old, SB47, prohibiting transfers from a prohibited person, and modified HB498, requiring school boards to develop and implement policies to inform parents about firearms safety and storage. The rest of the gun bills will be decided in mid-April as he has 30 days to decide once the legislature has adjourned.
Vermont: On Feb. 27 the Senate put SB209, requiring serialization of firearms parts and other ghost gun bans, on its Action Calendar to allow votes by the Senate.
Wisconsin: Senate Bill 587, implementing a new muzzleloader definition that would allow for new technology to be used, was signed by Gov. Tony Evers.
