Washington: Gun Bills Go into Effect

On Sunday, July 23, a number of bills that passed from the 2017 legislative session went into effect that impact your Second Amendment rights.

Senate Bill 5268, sponsored by Sen. Dean Takko (D-19), created an optional renewal notice for holders of concealed pistol licenses where applicants who choose to list an email address will receive a renewal notice email within 60 days of their permit’s expiration date. This is a simple way to help remind citizens to renew their concealed pistol licenses in a timely manner. 

Senate Bill 5552, sponsored by Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-43), addresses some of the problems created by the overwhelmingly flawed I-594 law. It provides certain exemptions to the ban on private transfers, such as for the purposes of preventing suicide, loans between family members, and temporary transfers made while the transferee and firearm are in the presence of the transferor. In addition, it also clarifies certain things such as allowing for transfers between employees and agents in the course of business activity, and that “firearm” does not include flare projectors or construction tools.

House Bill 1100, sponsored by Rep. David Taylor (R-15), created a renewal notice postcard for concealed pistol licenses that will be sent out 90 days before the expiration date, beginning with licenses that expire on or after August 1^st, 2018.  This is another simple way to help remind citizens to renew their concealed pistol licenses in a timely manner.

House Bill 1612, sponsored by Rep. Tina Orwall (D-33), continues the work of the Safer Homes Suicide Prevention Task Force, in which the National Rifle Association and others in the Second Amendment community joined with mental health professionals, the Department of Veteran Affairs, suicide prevention organizations, and law enforcement for the common purpose of preventing suicides.

Senate Bill 5256, sponsored by Sen. Joe Fain (R-47), allows for a new “permanent” order with no expiration date, which could result in the loss of Second Amendment rights without due process.  Amendments introduced by state Senator Mike Padden (R-4) and state Representative Jay Rodne (R-5) were adopted in both the Senate and House versions of the bill to allow respondents to petition once per year to have their firearms rights restored by showing there has been a material change in circumstances.  Your NRA-ILA worked to make improvements to the bill to protect against infringements on Second Amendment rights, yet remained opposed to the legislation as there is not sufficient due process built in prior to granting these orders that could ultimately result in the permanent removal of a constitutional right.

House Bill 1501, sponsored by Rep. Drew Hanson (D-23) and Dave Hayes (R-10), directs firearm dealers to report to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) instances where a dealer denies an application for the transfer of a firearm due to a background check indicating the applicant is ineligible to possess a firearm under either state or federal law. If the applicant believes the denial was made in error, information will be available that describes the process of appealing a NICS decision, and also referring them to local law enforcement if the denial was the result of a state background check. If you are a firearms dealer, please visit the WASPC website here for further information.

We would like to thank everyone who worked hard to protect Second Amendment rights in Washington during the 2017 legislative session. Please stayed tuned to your email inbox and www.nraila.org for further updates on these new laws and other Second Amendment issues in the Evergreen State.