On Tuesday, February 21, the House Judiciary Committee will consider five bills of interest to firearm owners in the Free State. This meeting will take place at 1:00 p.m. in room 101 of the House Office Building.
House Bill 45: Sponsored by Delegate Michael Smigiel (R-36), HB 45 would repeal the requirement that the Secretary of State Police base a finding that an applicant for a handgun permit has a good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun on an investigation; establish a presumption that an applicant for a handgun permit has a good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun for the purposes of qualifying for a handgun permit; and establish that the Secretary has the burden of specified proof.
House Bill 256: Specifies that a license to carry a regulated firearm, including a concealed regulated firearm, issued to an individual by Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia is valid in Maryland.
House Bill 430 and House Bill 488: Would repeal the requirement that the Secretary of State Police find that a person has a good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun before issuing a handgun permit to the person.
House Bill 618: Seeks to establish a Task Force to Study Access of Individuals with Mental Illness to Regulated Firearms; providing for the membership, staffing, and duties of the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to report to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2012, on legislative options for limiting the access to regulated firearms of individuals with a history of mental illness; and expanding the access of law enforcement officers to specified mental health records.
Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee and urge them to support HB 45, HB 256, HB 430 and HB 488. Contact information can be found here.