Grassroots Legislative Update—7/3/23

By Tanya Metaksa. July 3, 2023

What's New—
California: 11 Bills have passed the Assembly and are being considered in the Senate, while 3 bills have passed the Senate and are being considered in the Assembly. It is highly likely that all these 14 bills will be considered before adjournment in September. There is a four-week August recess between now and adjournment.
Florida: Constitutional carry is effective July 1, 2023 in Florida;
Maine: Maine is in special session. On June 26 after the House passed LD168, background checks for sale and transfer of firearms on private sales, by one vote, the Senate voted 13-21 against the measure. The measure is dead for the special session;
Massachusetts: HD4420, a bill that among other things would require all handguns sold to be "smart" guns unless they are sold to on duty police;
New Jersey: New Jersey Attorney General issues guidance resolving unintended consequences of ghost gun law; Tennessee: Both supporters of ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Orders), sometimes known as Red Flag laws, are hash tagging opposing views on twitter. The session is scheduled for mid-August.

Biden Administration

USFWS

Last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a proposed rule that "would improperly trade access to public lands in exchange for a ban on traditional ammunition made with lead components." This ban on traditional ammunition was attempted on the last day of Obama's presidency when USFWS published a rule banning such ammunition. That rule was rescinded by Trump's Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on his first day in office. Two companion bills S.1185, sponsored by Senator Steve Daines of Montana, and H.R. 615, sponsored by Representative Robert Wittman of Virginia, would stop the USFWS from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water under federal jurisdiction. .....