STAND. COM. REP. NO. 573

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 1321

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1321 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Clarify that failure to register a firearm within the required time period does not relieve the owner of the duty to register the firearm; and

 

     (2)  Allow the owner of an unregistered firearm to register the firearm thereafter without penalty.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Firearms Coalition, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and one hundred twenty-five individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from twelve individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that firearm registration requirements play an important role in ensuring the safe and responsible possession and use of firearms in Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that imposing a penalty for late registration can have the unintended effect of discouraging otherwise lawful owners of firearms from registering their firearms if they miss the registration deadline.  This measure will clarify that the duty to register a firearm continues past the registration deadline and allow owners of unregistered firearms to register their firearms without penalty.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the ongoing duty to register a firearm does not apply to devices exempt from firearm registration requirements; and

 

     (2)  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. 1321, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1321, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair