Last week, the Arizona Legislature convened for the 2022 session. More than two dozen firearm-related bills have been introduced with proposals to both strengthen and limit your Second Amendment Rights in Arizona. Below are a few highlights and lowlights of the bills that have been introduced.
Pro-Second Amendment
House Bill 2414 allows law-abiding citizens to store their loaded firearms in their locked personal vehicles while parked on school grounds. This ensures that parents are able to pick-up and drop-off students without first having to stop and unload their firearms before driving onto school grounds, or deviating from their route to park off-campus. So called “gun-free zones” are arbitrary boundaries that only disarm law-abiding citizens and leave them defenseless while doing nothing to deter criminals.
House Bill 2489 creates a Provisional Concealed Weapons Permit for adults aged 18-20 years old. Adults aged 18-20 are old enough to vote, serve on a jury, serve in the military, and enter into contracts. It is unreasonable for the law to discriminate against them by preventing them from exercising a fundamental right to defend themselves and their families.
House Bill 2316 expands areas where concealed carry permit holders can lawfully carry concealed firearms, to include certain public establishments and events.
House Bill 2472 prohibits financial institutions from discriminating against firearm businesses. Anti-gun banks and their executives have expressed interest in denying services to the firearm industry as a way to further their political agenda and impose gun control by making such business impossible when legislatures won’t bend to their will. This bill requires banks to evaluate firearm businesses like any other business and to consider financial risk rather than ideology in their decisions on providing services.
Anti-Gun
House Bill 2366 criminalizes private transfers of firearms, with limited exceptions. Research shows such proposals have no impact on violent crime, as criminals obtain the vast majority of their firearms through theft or straw purchases. Additionally, it is completely unenforceable without a firearm registry.
House Bill 2367 requires firearms to be made unavailable for self-defense by imposing one-size-fits-all storage requirements. Safe storage is a matter of personal responsibility and everyone’s situation is different.
House Bill 2361 delays Second Amendment rights by instituting an arbitrary three-day waiting period, excluding weekends and holidays, before a citizen can receive firearms that they purchase. Waiting periods are an archaic relic from before the digital age, since they were originally meant to give local law enforcement time to complete background checks.
On Thursday January 20th, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear two self-defense bills.
Senate Bill 1123 prevents the governing boards of universities, colleges, and community colleges from enacting or enforcing any policy that prohibits carry permit holders from carrying concealed firearms or prohibits the lawful transportation of firearms.
Senate Bill 1177 requires the Arizona Department of Public Safety to send out a renewal reminder and application to concealed weapons permit holders at least 60 days prior to the expiration of a permit.
Please use the Request to Speak application (RTS) on the Arizona State Legislature website to urge Senate Judiciary Committee members to SUPPORT SB 1123 and SB 1177. RTS is the most efficient and effective way to contact committee members regarding Second Amendment legislation. It is imperative that you create an account and continue utilizing this tool throughout the 2022 legislative session.
Your NRA will keep you updated as these bills move through the legislative process. Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox.
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