The House Appropriations Committee tabled House Bill 9 on a 13-5 vote this past week. NRA-ILA will notify you if there is any further movement on this issue during the remaining five full days of the 30-day session.
House Bill 9 had been significantly re-written in the House Judiciary Committee to create a fourth-degree felony penalty if a person kept or stored a firearm in a manner that was in reckless disregard of a minor’s ability to access that firearm AND the minor obtained access to that firearm and used it in a manner that caused great bodily harm or death to himself or another person. If the same circumstances existed and the minor brandished the firearm or caused injury to himself or another person not resulting in great bodily harm or death, the person would have been guilty of a misdemeanor. These penalties would not have applied if a minor obtained the firearm as a result of an illegal entry to the premises; if the firearm was kept in a locked container and was securely stored or in a location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure when obtained by the minor; if the firearm was carried on one’s person or within close proximity of the person so that the person could readily retrieve and use the firearm; if the firearm was locked with a firearm safety device that rendered the firearm inoperable when obtained by a minor; if the person was a peace officer or member of the armed forces or national guard, and a minor obtained the firearm during the performance of the person’s duties; or the minor obtained, or obtained and discharged, the firearm in a lawful act of self-defense or defense of another person.
Stay-tuned to NRA-ILA Alerts for more information and updates regarding your Second Amendment rights.
