Plain English Breakdown
The bill exempts this voluntary transfer from laws requiring firearm transfers to go through dealers.
Voluntary Firearm Storage Program
This bill allows police agencies to create a program where people can voluntarily give their guns to the agency for temporary safekeeping.
What This Bill Does
- Authorizes law enforcement agencies to start voluntary programs for storing firearms safely.
- Requires agencies to provide clear instructions on how to turn in and get back a firearm.
- Mandates that agencies check databases to ensure stored guns are not lost, stolen, or linked to crimes before accepting them.
- Ensures the person is legally allowed to own a gun before returning it to them.
- Requires agencies to destroy any firearms left unclaimed after a time period set by the agency.
Who It Names or Affects
- Local law enforcement agencies that choose to run this program.
- People who voluntarily want to store their firearms for safety reasons, such as preventing violence or suicide.
Terms To Know
- Voluntary transfer
- A person chooses on their own to give a firearm to an agency without being forced by law.
- Automated Firearms System
- A database used under existing law to record information about firearms and verify they are not stolen.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not set a specific time limit for storage; instead, it lets each agency decide how long the program lasts.
- It is unclear if every law enforcement agency will choose to create this program since the bill only authorizes them to do so.