Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Louisiana Update: Firearm Bills under Consideration by the State Legislature

Friday, April 19, 2013

On Wednesday, the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice had its first hearing of the 2013 legislative session.  Anti-gun and pro-gun bills were considered and reviewed, and the following is a summary of these bills and their outcomes in committee.  Please contact your state Representative and members of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice and urge them to oppose HB 366.  Urge your state Representative to support House Bills 5, 8, 45, 98, 277 and 717. 

Contact information for your state Representative can be found by clicking here.  House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice member contact information can be found by clicking here.

Anti-Gun Bills:

House Bill 4, introduced by state Representative Barbara Norton (D-3), was defeated by an involuntary deferral on a 7-6 vote.  This legislation would require all firearms to be locked in a container or equipped with a locking mechanism to render the firearm “inoperable.”  Requiring Louisianans to keep their firearms inoperable prohibits immediate use for self-defense and puts responsible gun owners at risk of danger.  This type of regulation was deemed invalid under the Second Amendment in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008).  Also, this type of law is unlikely to pass the strict scrutiny standard of review in Louisiana’s strengthened Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment.

House Bill 141, introduced by state Representative Austin Badon (D-100), was defeated by an involuntary deferral on a 7-6 vote.  HB 141 would require Louisianans to acquire and provide proof of firearms training before purchasing any firearm.  This legislation effectively imposes a tax on the exercise of a fundamental right and unnecessarily restricts Louisianans who cannot afford training courses but have a right and a need to lawfully possess and own a firearm.

House Bill 366 was postponed for future consideration.  Please contact members of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice and your state Representative and urge them to oppose this anti-gun legislation.  This bill, introduced by state Representative Mickey Guillory (D-41), would create a crime of reckless discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of residential property in an unincorporated or rural area of a parish - in which the discharge does not foreseeably pose a threat to the safety of another human being.  This bill language is so broad that the term “residential property” (defined as “property which is wholly or partly used for or intended to be used for living or sleeping by human occupants”) could include an enormous state forest with a campsite.  Under HB 366, the new restricted zone would include the furthest reaches of the property from the place used for camping, plus an additional 1,000 feet.  As such, an individual could be miles and miles away from the described camp site, be unaware of its existence, and the “recklessness” could arise from the disregard of the fact that an individual might hit a billboard or some other “interest” that has no direct relation to someone’s safety – if it occurs within the new restricted zone.  State law already allows parishes to regulate the discharge of firearms and provides penalties for individuals recklessly discharging firearms.

Pro-Gun Bills:

House Bill 5, the Louisiana Preservation of Individual Gun Rights of Citizens Act, passed by a 9-6 vote.  Introduced by state Representative Jim Morris (R-1), this legislation would prohibit state enforcement of federal gun control laws enacted on or after January 1, 2013.

House Bill 8, introduced by state Representative Jeff Thompson (R-8), passed by an 8-5 vote.  This bill would strengthen the current concealed handgun permit confidentiality statute by adding misdemeanor and felony penalties for individuals that intentionally release or publish information on individuals that applied for or received concealed handgun permits.

House Bill 21, now House Bill 717, passed in the committee unanimously.  Introduced by state Representative Henry Burns (R-9), HB 717 would allow Louisiana law to meet the requirements set forth in the federal NICS Improvement Amendments Act (NIAA) of 2007.  This legislation does not expand or create new categories of prohibited persons.

People who have been placed under certain types of mental health-related orders – by a court – are prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.  The NIAA established clear standards for states to use in crafting laws to give persons subject to these prohibitions a means of relief.  HB 717, under the guidelines established by the NIAA, would allow a court to grant relief from the federal prohibition upon a finding that the petitioner will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief would not be contrary to the public interest.  HB 717, for the first time in Louisiana history, provides a path for Louisianans, including military service members and veterans, to have their gun rights restored.

House Bill 45, the Louisiana Manufactured Firearms and Ammunition Act, passed by a 10-1 vote.  Introduced by state Representative Joseph Lopinto (R-80), this bill would exempt from federal firearm regulation all firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition manufactured and remaining within the borders of Louisiana.  It would also create a Louisiana-based “dealer’s license” and alternative background check system.

House Bill 98, introduced by state Representative Jeff Thompson (R-8), passed by an 11-2 vote.  This bill improves the current permits to carry concealed handguns offered by sheriffs – such permits are independent of the statewide permit to carry concealed handguns.  This legislation allows sheriffs to enter into reciprocity agreements with contiguous parishes, makes the criteria for obtaining a parish permit the same as a statewide permit, and penalizes the release and publication of information on individuals that have applied for or received a concealed handgun permit.

House Bill 277, introduced by state Representative Eddie Lambert (R-59), was temporarily postponed for additional amendments.  This bill would repeal the current duplicative state-level NFA weapon and suppressor registration.  Louisiana is the only state that has this burdensome registration scheme that adversely impacts law-abiding Louisianans and their businesses.  NFA weapons and suppressors are already heavily regulated by the federal government.

TRENDING NOW
MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

On March 11, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued two decisions concerning the Commonwealth’s firearms carry licensing scheme for nonresidents.

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, February 7, 2025

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through ...

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

Saturday, March 8, 2025

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

In 2023, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order declaring gun violence a “public health emergency” and banning the carry of firearms in various locations throughout the state.

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Thursday, March 6, 2025

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Yesterday the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee met to continue discussions on Senate Bill 279 (GoSAFE). The author did not accept the committee substitute to amend the near all-encompassing ban on semi-auto firearms with equally ...

Oregon Court Of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Decision, Lifts Hold on Ballot Measure 114

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Oregon Court Of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Decision, Lifts Hold on Ballot Measure 114

On Wednesday, March 12th, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that had declared unconstitutional Ballot Measure 114, which imposed a permit-to-purchase scheme and banned the possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. ...

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

Several years ago, a seven-year-old boy was suspended from school for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun and pretending to fire it at his second grade classmates. A school official stated the child ...

New Mexico: Anti-Gun Extremists Introduce Sweeping Gun Ban

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

New Mexico: Anti-Gun Extremists Introduce Sweeping Gun Ban

As they have tried in the past, anti-gun radicals in the New Mexico Senate have introduced Senate Bill 279, the "GOSAFE Act," a near all-encompassing ban on semi-automatic and NFA firearms.

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case in which the Mexican government is attempting to hold members of the U.S. gun industry financially liable for drug cartel violence south of the border.

New Mexico: Senate Finance Staff Reviewing Semi-Auto Bill

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

New Mexico: Senate Finance Staff Reviewing Semi-Auto Bill

Yesterday, Senate Finance committee posted that their staff is reviewing SB 279 as a part of their Wednesday meeting. While this is not a formal hearing, this could be a decision point on whether Senate ...

Colorado: FOID Bill Passes House Judiciary With More Amendments

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Colorado: FOID Bill Passes House Judiciary With More Amendments

Yesterday, March 11th, Senate Bill 25-003 underwent another transformation during a late-night hearing in the House Judiciary committee, ultimately passing with amendments along a party-line vote. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.