STAND. COM. REP. NO. 334

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 69

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 69 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation to the county police departments to establish gun buy-back programs with the goal of reducing the number of firearms in the community.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Hawaii County; Police Department, County of Kauai; and two individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the National Rifle Association, Hawaii Rifle Association, Valley Isle Sport Shooters, and numerous individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that under existing law, a person arriving in the State with a firearm is required to register the firearm, but no permit process or background check is required.  Therefore, individuals who might have been prohibited from acquiring a firearm in Hawaii can acquire a firearm outside of Hawaii, where a permit process or extensive background check may not be required, then possess and be considered registered firearm owners after registering with the county police department.  Your Committee finds that an amendment to this measure is necessary to close this loophole by requiring individuals arriving in the State with firearms to undergo a background check before registering a firearm with the county police department.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure accordingly by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation for the establishment of a gun buy-back program;

 

     (2)  Inserting language to require county police departments to fingerprint, photograph, and perform background checks on individuals who wish to register a firearm that was procured out-of-state, with certain exceptions; authorize the police departments to assess a fee for conducting a fingerprint check in connection with the registration; and specifying the amount of the fee;

 

     (3)  Inserting language to appropriate a total of $200,000 to the county police departments to develop various gun safety programs, including gun safety education and training; extensive background checks for mental health concerns for certain individuals wishing to register guns; and gun buy-back programs;

 

     (4)  Amending section 1 of this measure to reflect its amended purpose; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 69, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 69, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair