Today, two NRA-backed bills, Senate Bill 977 and Senate Bill 979, received action in the Michigan Senate.
SB 977 passed in the state Senate by a 32 to 1 vote. Introduced by state Senator John Moolenaar (R-36), SB 977 seeks to provide active duty military personnel who are on duty orders outside of the state with the option to renew their Concealed Pistol License (CPL) through the mail. Under current Michigan law, individuals who are seeking to renew their CPL are required to submit the renewal application in person. As a result, many resident active duty military CPL holders who are stationed outside of Michigan are effectively prohibited from renewing their license in a manner that allows them to maintain continuity of their concealed carry benefits.
SB 977 also standardizes the delivery method by which county clerks distribute renewal CPLs. Under SB 977, the county clerks will be required to distribute approved renewal licenses through first-class mail. As a result, active duty military personnel will also have the option to have their renewal CPL sent directly to their duty station. This is especially important for those individuals who are stationed in one of the forty states that have entered into a reciprocal agreement to recognize Michigan’s CPL; as it will allow them to lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights when traveling off-base.
SB 977 will now be sent to the Michigan House of Representatives where it will be assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
SB 979 passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 3 to 1 vote. SB 979 would align Michigan’s definition of “firearm” with the federal definition; such that “firearm” would be redefined to mean “any weapon which will, is designed to, or may be readily converted to expel a projectile by action of an explosive.” SB 979 would then create a new definition for air guns. Grouping air guns under the broader term “pneumatic guns,” to account for certain devices that propel projectiles by action of a spring, SB 979 would allow for local units of government to reasonably regulate the use and possession of “pneumatic guns;” with the exception that these devices cannot be regulated on private property where authorization is given and the possessor takes precautionary measures to ensure that the projectile remains within the bounds of the property.
SB 979 will now be considered on the Senate floor as part of the Air Gun Reclassification Package, which also includes Senate Bills 963, 964, 965 and 966. Please contact your state Senator and respectfully request they take up the Air Gun Reclassification Package when they reconvene in September.
Your NRA-ILA will keep you informed as this legislation progresses.
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