Decision Making on Anti-Gun Bills Deferred Until Next Week by Senate Committee on Public Safety

From NRA-ILA, February 3, 2018

On February 1st, the Hawaii Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs (PSM) heard Senate Bill 2046 and Senate Bill 2436. Decision making for both measures has been deferred until February 6th.  The House Committee on Judiciary heard Bill 2024 and has deferred this measure.  Please contact members of the Senate Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs Committee and urge their opposition to SB 2046 and SB 2436.  Click the “Take Action” button below to contact committee members.

Senate Bill 2046, sponsored by Senator Karl Rhoads (D-13), would make it a crime to own, manufacture, possess, sell, barter, trade, gift, transfer, or acquire a firearm accessory or any other device, part or combination of parts that is designed to or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm.  In addition, SB 2046 would also criminalize installing, removing, or altering parts of a firearm with the intent to accelerate the rate of fire.  The broad and overreaching provisions of SB 2046 could criminalize firearm modifications such as competition triggers, muzzle brakes, and ergonomic changes that are commonly done by law-abiding gun owners to make their firearms more suitable for self-defense, competition, hunting, or even overcoming disability. Decision making by PSM Committee is deferred until February 6th.

Senate Bill 2436, sponsored by Senator Clarence Nishihara (D-17), would drastically shorten the time period a prohibited person, whether temporarily or permanently prohibited, has to comply with the current requirement to surrender their firearms from 30 days to an unspecified number of hours.  This expedited time period could subject an individual, who may have nothing more than allegations as the basis for the prohibition, to an unfettered search of their home and/or business within hours of being accused; all this without taking into account the many issues surrounding “surrender statutes” in general, including possible violations of an individual’s right against self-incrimination.  Decision making by PSM Committee is deferred until February 6th.

House Bill 2024, sponsored by Representative Chris Lee (D-51), would allow for certain protective orders to remove an individual’s Second Amendment rights - not because of a criminal conviction or mental adjudication, but based on third party allegations and evidentiary standards below those normally required for removing constitutional rights.  The House Committee on Judiciary has deferred this measure.