FIREARM SAFE STORAGE AWARENESS INITIATIVE.

Printer-friendly: Click to view
View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
House Bill 72 (Public) Filed Wednesday, February 8, 2023
AN ACT TO LAUNCH A STATEWIDE FIREARM SAFE STORAGE AWARENESS INITIATIVE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS AND TO FACILITATE THE DISTRIBUTION OF GUN LOCKS.
Intro. by Carson Smith, Clemmons, White, K. Baker.
Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action) (Feb 27 2023)

Bill History:

H 72

Bill Summaries:

  • Bill H 72 (2023-2024)
    Summary date: Feb 15 2023 - View Summary

    House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

    Requires the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and Wildlife Resources Commission (Commission) (was, DHHS must collaborate with the Commission), to launch a two-year statewide firearm safe storage awareness initiative to educate the public about the importance of the safe storage of firearms and to facilitate the distribution of gun locks, which must include the development of a website and toolkit and include an outreach process. 

    Makes DPS, instead of the Commission, responsible for developing the website providing information to the public about six specified issues related to the safe storage of firearms, including access to a toolkit of information that local communities may use to launch firearm safe storage initiatives at the local level. 

    Requires DPS, instead of DHHS, to implement an outreach process for disseminating the information and toolkit to the public and to local communities, and providing technical assistance. Allows DPS (was, DHHS and Commission) to contract with a third-party to launch the firearm safe storage awareness initiative. 

    Deletes the intent to fund the act. 

    Requires DPS, DHHS, and the Commission to report to the specified NCGA committee on progress in launching the initiative.

    Government, State Agencies, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Safety
    UNCODIFIED
  • Bill H 72 (2023-2024)
    Summary date: Feb 8 2023 - View Summary

    Identical to S 67, filed 2/2/23.

    Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in collaboration with the Wildlife Resources Commission (Commission),  to launch a two-year statewide firearm safe storage awareness initiative to educate the public about the importance of the safe storage of firearms and to facilitate the distribution of gun locks, which must include the development of a website and toolkit and include an outreach process. 

    Requires the Commission to develop a website to provide information to the public about six specified issues related to the safe storage of firearms, including access to a toolkit of information that local communities may use to launch firearm safe storage initiatives at the local level. Specifies what is to be include in the toolkit, including the distribution of free or discounted gun locks. Requires the development of the website and toolkit by July 1, 2024.

    Require DHHS, upon development of the website and toolkit, to implement an outreach process for disseminating the information and toolkit to the public and to local communities, and requires providing technical assistance to local communities to assist them in using the toolkit to launch local initiatives.

    Allows contracting with a third-party with relevant expertise related to public health and injury prevention to launch the firearm safe storage awareness initiative. 

    Prohibits the firearm safe storage awareness initiative and any state funds used to launch and maintain the initiative, from being used to advocate, promote, or lobby for the creation of new, or the revision of existing, laws regulating firearms; limits use to the purposes set out in the act and to to explaining and promoting existing laws regulating firearms and best practices for firearm storage and safety.

    States the General Assembly to appropriate funds during the 2023‑24 fiscal year to be used to cover costs incurred from implementing the provisions of this act.

    Requires DHHS and the Commission to report to the specified NCGA committee on progress in launching the initiative by September 1, 2024.

    Effective July 1, 2023. 

    Government, State Agencies, Department of Health and Human Services
    UNCODIFIED
View: All Summaries for Bill