Missouri General Assembly Passes Comprehensive Firearm Reforms!

House Bill 294 Now Goes to Governor Nixon!

Today, the 2011 Missouri legislative session closed with a fundamental victory for Missouri gun owners! Thanks to NRA member support, Missouri’s General Assembly approved comprehensive firearm reforms, sending House Bill 294 to Governor Jay Nixon for his signature. House Bill 294, authored by state Representative Jeanie Riddle (R-20) and sponsored in the Senate by state Senator Brian Munzlinger (R-18), is a comprehensive firearm reform bill that would address a number of Right-to-Carry issues important to Missouri’s law-abiding gun owners. The Missouri Senate passed House Bill 294 by an overwhelming 27 to 6 vote, while the House of Representatives approved the measure today, by a 125 to 25 vote.

Missourians have come one step closer to lowering the Right-to-Carry requirement age to 21 years old - the same as most other Right-to-Carry states.  This important reform bill would also make other important corrections regarding current state firearms laws, some of which are already covered under federal law. 

HB 294, including Senate committee amendments, would:

• Prohibit sales taxes on firearms or ammunition from being higher than those for sporting goods, sporting equipment, hunting equipment, and accessories;
• Allow residents to purchase long guns from non-contiguous states and vice versa by removing non-penalty merchandising practices provisions;
• Lower the concealed carry age to 21;
• Allow a person to possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a machine gun, short-barreled rifle or shotgun, or firearm suppressor if he or she complies with federal law;
• Create the crime of fraudulent firearms purchases if a person knowingly solicits, persuades, encourages, or entices a licensed dealer or private seller of firearms or ammunition to transfer a firearm or ammunition under circumstances which the person knows would violate federal or state laws; and
• Enable members of the General Assembly and their staff who possess valid concealed carry endorsements to carry a firearm for self-defense in the Capitol.  

Please contact Governor Jay Nixon to respectfully urge his support of HB 294! To contact the Governor by phone, call (573) 751-3222 and by e-mail, click here.