On Thursday, February 15th, New Hampshire Senate held floor votes on several anti-gun bills. Thanks to the strong support of NRA members and Second Amendment supporters, all anti-gun bills were defeated. The NRA and its members thank lawmakers for supporting Granite Staters' Second Amendment rights.
SB 360- FN would have implemented “Red Flag” laws in New Hampshire that permit the government to seize firearms based on weak and nebulous standards of evidence. If passed, this bill would have implemented ex-parte hearings that would suspend an individual's Second Amendment rights without due process. In addition to violating due process, this bill would also have required individuals to petition the court for the return of their property once the order has been vacated.
SB 571-FN required background checks for the commercial sale of firearms, already mandated under federal law. This duplicative and unnecessary legislation was simply a first attempt to enact so-called “universal background checks” for the purchase of firearms in New Hampshire. The bill would have done nothing to improve public safety and its effectiveness depends on requiring gun registration.
SB 577-FN would have delayed Second Amendment rights by imposing a three-day waiting period before an individual may receive a firearm that they lawfully purchase, with limited exemptions. There is no evidence that waiting periods reduce violent crime. Instead, this simply denies someone the ability to buy a firearm for urgent self-defense.
Today marked a major victory for New Hampshire gun owners, but the fight is not over yet. Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for future updates on all gun-related legislation in the Granite State.