Below are the bills being heard tomorrow, and the guidance of The NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition and others. You may click on the linked bill number for more details.
A reminder that you can sign in here: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/default.aspx
HB 32 clarifies that possession or discharge of a firearm in a safe school zone is illegal and adds criminal penalties if this law is violated. State firearm laws are at odds with federal firearms laws. Since state firearm laws are so expansive, school districts are placed in a precarious position as they are legally required to respect gun laws, which prioritizes firearm protections over safety for students, educators, and staff. HB 32 will allow school administrators to enforce gun free school zones and provide criminal penalties for violating the law. SUPPORT
HB 59, requiring a background check prior to any commercial sale.
Requiring a background check every time a gun is sold is effective in keeping guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and other prohibited persons, but guns sold in New Hampshire through private sales at gun shows, online, or the classifieds do not currently require a background check. Under HB 1668, all commercial firearm sales would require a background check through a federally licensed dealer using the same background check system already used in all dealer sales. Sales or transfers between family and friends would not require one so long as neither party to the transaction is a prohibited person; if the status of either party’s eligibility to own or possess a firearm cannot be determined, the transaction shall be completed through a licensed firearm dealer. This just makes sense: responsible gun owners shouldn’t put guns in the hands of people they don’t know, or the hands of people they don’t know well enough to know whether they are prohibited from owning a firearm. SUPPORT
HB 76, relative to imposing a waiting period between purchase and delivery of firearms
Waiting periods are critical to ensure rash, impulsive instances of gun violence are mitigated by imposing a timeframe between purchase and delivery of a firearm. By immediately acquiring a gun, it enables individuals to on momentary impulse, which increases the chance of suicide or gun violence. SUPPORT
HB 78, repealing an act prohibiting the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential Executive Order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep or bear arms.
This bill seeks to repeal HB 1178, which was passed in the 2022 legislative session. Multiple states across the country are seeing bills that nullify federal gun laws, putting local communities at risk. HB 78 would ensure that New Hampshire receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants and aid by complying with federal gun violence prevention efforts. It would also enable New Hampshire to once again collaborate the DOJ, FBI, or ATF on major cases, including investigations of the violent insurrection at the capitol or the growing armed militia and white supremacist activity in the Granite State. We need to close background check loopholes, stop the proliferation of ghost guns and assault style weapons on our streets, and develop a real plan to address the public health pandemic that is gun violence. This bill would promote collaboration between state and local agencies, and the Biden-Harris Administration and Congressional leaders at the national level. SUPPORT
HB 351, relative to firearm sales to persons under the age of 21 and relative to firearm safety devices.
Comprehensive research has shown that the brain continues to develop past the age of 21 years old. Age restrictions for firearm sales are critical to ensure that young people do not fall prey to gun violence and suicide, as rates of self-harm are higher among adolescents and teens. HB 351 will protect young people and allow more time for development before possessing a deadly weapon. SUPPORT
HB 444, prohibiting possession of a firearm at a polling place.
No person shall openly carry or display a firearm or other deadly weapon within 100 feet of a polling place during any day when a federal, state, or municipal election is held. This is an important bill to address increasing threats of armed voter intimidation. SUPPORT
HB 474 prohibits abiding by any federal regulation pertaining to firearms and requires law enforcement to actively protect the 2nd Amendment.
This bill prohibits federal enforcement of firearms laws and permits lawsuits against state employees and prohibiting their future employment for assisting federal law enforcement. OPPOSE
HB 512 exempts firearms manufactured in New Hampshire from federal laws and regulations. OPPOSE