On Monday, Senate Bill 1257 was amended and passed by the House Committee of the Whole and today it was passed by the full House of Representatives. SB 1257 will now go back to the Senate for final concurrence. However, Senate Bill 1266 is still awaiting third read by the full House of Representatives. Additionally, House Bill 2338, House Bill 2446 and House Bill 2524 are all awaiting third read in the Senate. Third reading of non-budgetary bills will likely continue after the Legislature finalizes the budget. Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on these bills!
SB 1257, sponsored by state Senator John Kavanagh (R-23), makes changes to existing law and expands the list of places where law-abiding gun owners can exercise their fundamental right to self-defense to include some additional public areas where certain security measures are not in place.
SB 1266, sponsored by state Senator Steve Smith (R-11), would improve the state firearms preemption law to ensure consistency throughout the Grand Canyon State. This would be done by providing a mechanism to declare unlawful regulations null and void in addition to providing penalties for knowing and willful violations by localities. SB 1266 is a much-needed protection that will help law-abiding gun owners ensure they are in compliance with the law.
HB 2338 would prevent educational institutions from adopting policies that would prohibit individuals from lawfully possessing or carrying a firearm in their vehicle (means of transportation) on a public right-of-way.
HB 2446, sponsored by state Representative David Livingston (R-22), makes necessary revisions to Arizona’s current definition of a “prohibited weapon” to exclude all firearms or devices that are legally possessed in compliance with the National Firearms Act (NFA). The technical correction made by HB 2446 changes the registration of NFA items from the Treasury Department to the appropriate Federal Agency in order to be compliant with current federal law.
HB 2524 would create a “Uniform Firearm Transfer Compact.” Under the compact, every state that agrees to the terms would maintain reliably uniform firearm transfer laws to ensure consistency in public policy. This compact would promote a better public understanding of the law, especially for individuals who travel and establish residences among member states.
Once again, please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on these bills!