All of these upcoming gun bills need your voice! Don't sit on the sidelines.
Being heard Virtually on March 2nd at 1pm in the Judiciary Committee:
Testimony signup and submission is 2/28 between 8am and 3pm.
Go directly to the MyMGA Witness Signup page here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/MyMGATracking/WitnessSignup
✅ HB1288 Public Safety - Handgun Permit Application Fee - Waiver for Disabled Residents
Delegate Arikan, et al.
As the name implies, this bill would waive application fees for applicants of carry permits for Maryland residents with disabilities. Read our full testimony
HERE. MSI SUPPORTS this bill and requests a favorable report.
❌ HB1021 Public Safety – Licensed Firearms Dealers – Security Requirements
Speaker Jones
This bill imposes strict and very expensive storage, security, and other requirements upon federal firearms licensees across the state, even for those who hold FFL03 Curio and Relics licenses! If enacted, HB1021 would likely force many firearms dealers to close or leave the state, thus making it that much harder for Marylanders to purchase firearms and thus exercise their Second Amendment rights. Read our full testimony
HERE. MSI OPPOSES this bill and requests an unfavorable report.
Being heard In-Person March 2nd at 1pm in the Judicial Proceedings Committee:
Testimony signup and submission is TOMORROW (3/1) starting at 4pm until 10am on 3/2.
❌ SB873 Public Safety – Firearm Industry Members – Public Nuisance
Senators Waldstreicher and Smith
SB873 is designed to make it easy to bring suit against FFLs and other firearms industry members for harms caused by misuse of a firearm by a purchaser or by third parties. The bill thus attempts to usurp the federal
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which was enacted by Congress to preempt and put a stop to the very types of lawsuits the bill would allow. Read our full testimony
HERE. MSI OPPOSES this bill and requests an unfavorable report.
Being heard Virtually on March 9th at 1pm in the Judiciary Committee:
Testimony signup and submission is on 3/7 between 8am and 3pm.
✅ HB871 Handgun Permit - Preliminary Approval
Delegate Saab, et al.
HB871 would have the State Police investigate a carry permit applicant before requiring they complete the necessary training. Upon approval, the applicant would have 120 days to complete the training before being given the permit. The Senate cross-file to this bill,
SB338,
was heard on 2/16 and passed the Senate unanimously this week. Read our full testimony
HERE. MSI SUPPORTS this bill and requests a favorable report.
✅ HB1174 Public Safety – Permit to Carry, Wear, or Transport a Handgun – Qualifications
Delegate Kipke, et al.
This bill would effectively make Maryland shall issue for carry permits like the vast majority of the country. The Senate version of the bill,
SB327, was recently heard and you can see that proceeding
HERE. Read our full testimony
HERE. MSI SUPPORTS this bill and requests a favorable report.
✅ HB1206 Public Safety – Handgun Permit Requirement – Repeal (Maryland’s Constitutional Carry Act of 2022)
Delegate Grammer
You read the title correctly; this bill if enacted would line Maryland up with the 21 states (and likely more soon) that currently do not require permits to carry handguns in public. MSI SUPPORTS this bill and requests a favorable report.
ℹ️ HB482 Firearms – Right to Purchase, Own, Possess, and Carry – Medical Cannabis
Delegate Grammer
This bill is similar in effect to Senator Hough's
SB286. It would disallow the State Police from denying an HQL, carry permit, or firearms purchase based on one's possession of a medical cannabis card and use of medical cannabis. MSI is submitting Informational testimony only on this bill, as the use of cannabis in any regard bars a person from any possession of a firearm or modern ammunition.
Being heard Virtually on March 10th at 1pm in the Appropriations Committee:
Testimony signup and submission is on 3/8 between 8am and 3pm.
❌ HB780 Gun-Free Higher Education Zones
Delegate Jalisi
HB780 is a blast from the past as this bill resurrects prior attempts dating back to 2017 that would have banned firearms completely from the grounds of all public institutions of higher education. It was a bad idea then and it still is now.
Here's MSI's oral testimony on a similar bill from 2017. MSI OPPOSES this bill and requests an unfavorable report.
Being heard In-Person March 15th at 1pm in the Judicial Proceedings Committee:
Testimony signup and submission is between 4pm on 3/14 and 10am on 3/15.
❌ SB676 Firearm Safety - Storage Requirements and Youth Suicide Prevention (Jaelynn's Law)
Senators Smith and Beidle
The House cross file of this bill,
HB659,
was heard last week in Judiciary and that hearing is worth watching to understand the trouble with further criminalizing how gun owners store their firearms and ammunition. Read our full testimony
HERE. MSI Opposes this bill and requests an unfavorable report.
❌ SB773 Public Safety – Firearms Dealers – Storage Vaults for Regulated Firearms
Senator Carter
Though not as expansive in scope as
HB1021, SB773 would require dealers to install vaults for
all regulated firearms to be stored in as a condition of being able to sell firearms in Maryland. MSI OPPOSES this bill and requests an unfavorable report.
