Following a short legislative session, the Oregon Legislature adjourned sine die on March 7th. Despite opposition and concerns from the NRA and 2A advocates, Senate Bill 1503 passed and awaits the Governor’s signature. SB 1503 establishes the Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention and requires the task force to report to the interim legislative committees related to health care.
While marketed as a bill to reduce suicides, this legislation improperly focuses on firearms, but denies anyone from the pro-firearms community a seat on the newly established 27-person task force. The bill also provides $250,000 of funding to be awarded to third parties for research. It is foreseeable that anti-gun groups with a bias towards firearms could use these taxpayer dollars to further their disarmament agenda, rather than focusing on the underlying causes of mental health and access to mental health services.
NRA thanks all members and fellow Second Amendment advocates who engaged with their legislators this session. Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for any future updates.
