Today, Monday, February 22, the Oregon House of Representatives passed House Bill 4147 with a 31-28 vote. HB 4147 was sent to the Senate where it has been assigned to the Senate Rules Committee and will now await a hearing. Time is critical as the 2016 short session has entered the final two weeks. It is imperative that you contact both your state Senator and the members of the Senate Rules Committee today in opposition to this misguided bill. Click on the “Take Action” button below to contact your state Senator and the members of the Senate Rules Committee!
Under current state law, indefinite delays on firearm transfers are prevented by a small safeguard which allows federal firearms dealers (FFL) to release a firearm after three business days if the Oregon State Police (OSP) are unable to determine whether a recipient is prohibited from possessing a firearm. A deferral from OSP does not necessarily mean the recipient is prohibited, but rather that OSP is not satisfied with the background check inquiry and a determination has not yet been made. With the new amendments, under HB 4147, if after 10 business days an FFL has not received a determination from OSP, the FFL may release the firearm to a transferee at the dealers discretion. In reality, transfers could be delayed up to 15 days due to weekends and holidays. There’s absolutely no reason why OSP should need 10 business days, nevertheless 15, to determine whether an individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Further, the amendment attempts to address one of the many flaws of Senate Bill 941, which passed the Legislative Assembly and was signed into law in 2015. As previously reported, this misguided legislation included nail guns and boating flares in the definition of firearms.
Once again, please contact your state Senator and the members of the Senate Rules Committee immediately to voice your strong opposition to House Bill 4147!
Please forward this email to friends, family and fellow Second Amendment supporters in Oregon and encourage them to do the same.