Grassroots Legislative
Update—Feb. 13, 2023

By Tanya Metaksa. Feb 13, 2023

What's New—Oregon: Measure 114: Last Thursday, the Oregon Supreme Court issued a terse opinion: "The petition for a writ of mandamus is denied without prejudice. The motion for stay is dismissed as moot without prejudice."
•  Alaska: HB61 and SB63, two bills prohibiting the closing of lawful gun related business during a state of emergency, have been introduced;
•  Arizona: the Senate Election Committee held a hearing on SB1331, allows parents of a child who is a student at a public school to carry on school grounds, and SB1109, removes suppressors from prohibited weapons category, will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee;
•  Colorado: HB23-1044, the Second Amendment Preservation Act was introduced;
•  Florida: a constitutional carry bill, HB543, was passed by the House Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights;
•  Kansas: SB116, a bill to expand access to firearms safety education had a hearing on Feb. 8 and recommended "Do Pass;"
•  Maryland: The Gun Safety Act of 2023, SB1, is being discussed but not yet introduced. SB113 this so-called "public nuisance" bill is designed to circumvent the federal PLCAA law, and was the subject of a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Feb. 7;
•  Minnesota: All Four bills were adopted bythe House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee and re-referred to House Ways & Means: HF396, HF 14, HF15, and HF601;
•   Nebraska: Judiciary Committee votes to advance LB77, a constitutional carry bill;
•  New Mexico: HB9, a bill that would hold adults criminally liable for firearms accessible to minors passed the House 37-32;the New Mexico Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee held a hearing on SB171 and then passed the bill on a party-line vote; The NM House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee held a hearing on Feb. 7 on HB50, HB100, and HB101; HB100 and a committee substitute for HB101 passed the Committee, while HB154, a constitutional carry bill, was tabled; SB116, banning young adults age 18-20 from purchasing or possession any semi-automatic firearm passed the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee;
•  South Carolina: S109 and HB3594, constitutional carry bills, have been introduced and referred to Committee on Judiciary in both Houses;
•  Virginia: HB2387, a bill to give buyers of school safes a credit against the sales tax of up to $300 on the purchase of a gun safe has passed the House by a vote of 99-1;
•  Washington: The Senate Law and Justice Committee has scheduled an executive session for SB5232 for Feb. 16; other bills are moving.
•  Wyoming: two pro-gun bills have died in Committees.

2023 Congressional Activity/Biden Administration

US Congress: S.173 A safe storage law, named "Ethan's Law" was introduced by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT) and Murphy (D-CT), penalizing any adult that allows a minor, less than 18 years of age, to gain possession of a firearm. The bill's storage requirements are onerous and the penalties include forfeiture of the firearm, jail time and fines. Rep. DeLauro (D-CT01) is submitting a companion bill, but no bill has yet been submitted.

H.R.175 Republican Representative from PA who voted for the 2022 Assault Weapon ban in Congress, has now authored HR715 that would implement a gun registry. HR715 has 180 cosponsors.

H.R. 38 Introduced by US Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) with bipartisan support and 118 original co-sponsors, would protect law-abiding Right-to-Carry permit holders from navigating a patchwork of varying gun control laws when crossing a state line. Senators John Cornyn (TX-R) and Bill Hagerty (TN-R) have introduced the companion bill, S.1522, with 43 co-sponsors on Feb 1. .....