Earlier this week, the Maryland 2023 legislative session came to a close, and several bills that we opposed have passed. These bills include SB1, HB 824, and SB 858.
Senate Bill 1 (“SB 1”) further restricts where someone can carry a firearm by arbitrarily and drastically expanding the number of places labeled as “sensitive places” where concealed carry is prohibited. The bill’s sponsors admitted SB 1 is a direct response to the Supreme Court Case NYSRPA v. Bruen and has been significantly amended since its initial draft. However, we remain concerned about Maryland’s continued efforts to increase gun control measures.
House Bill 824 (“HB 824”) increases application fees for wear and carry permits and bans permit holders for new crimes. We strongly oppose these measures, as they unfairly penalize law-abiding gun owners.
Lastly, Senate Bill 858 (“SB 858”) changes the definition of a minor from 16 to 18 years old for storage requirements and adds storage prevention for prohibited persons. While we support responsible gun ownership and storage, we believe that these measures will only serve to punish law-abiding gun owners.
The fight for our Second Amendment rights is far from over. NRA will be back in Annapolis for the 2024 legislative session. We will continue to monitor and advocate against any measures that unfairly restrict our rights as gun owners.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates.
