Washington: Two Gun Bills Pass Second Chamber

On Tuesday, April 11, two bills were passed from their opposite chambers in the Washington State Legislature.  As both bills were amended, each must return to their chamber of origin for concurrence.

Senate Bill 5268, sponsored by state Senator Dean Takko (D-19), passed from the House with a 98-0 vote after having previously passed the Senate with a 49-0 vote.  SB 5268 creates an optional renewal notice for holders of concealed pistol licenses where applicants who choose to list an email address will receive a renewal notice email within 60 days of their permit’s expiration date. This is a simple way to help remind citizens to renew their concealed pistol licenses in a timely manner.

House Bill 1612, sponsored by state Representative Tina Orwall (D-33), passed from the Senate with a 47-2 vote after having previously passed the House with a 88-9 vote.  HB 1612 was originally created at the request of the Safer Homes Task Force, in which the National Rifle Association and others in the Second Amendment community joined with mental health professionals, the Department of Veteran Affairs, suicide prevention organizations, and law enforcement for the common purpose of preventing suicides.  Among other things, HB 1612 addresses one of the problems created by the overwhelmingly flawed I-594 law by creating an exemption to allow for temporary private transfers to prevent suicide.  Further, this bill expands the definition of family to include parents-in-law and siblings-in-law, and provides that transfers between family members will now include loans, not just gifts, as was passed with I-594.

Stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on these bills.