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Bill > H0020
VT H0020
VT H0020An act relating to establishing a voluntary firearms storage program for persons in crisis
summary
Introduced
01/09/2025
01/09/2025
In Committee
01/09/2025
01/09/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Session
Bill Summary
This bill proposes to establish a voluntary program in which persons in crisis would have the opportunity to temporarily relinquish their firearms to federally licensed firearms dealers. The program would include the following elements: (1) Federally licensed firearms dealers in Vermont would have the option to choose to participate in a temporary firearms storage program for persons in crisis. (2) A person experiencing a mental health or other relevant crisis could bring their firearms to a participating firearms dealer for temporary safekeeping. (3) The program would authorize participating dealers to temporarily store the person’s firearms until the person is no longer in crisis. The program would provide criminal and civil immunity from liability to participating dealers for any harm resulting from the dealer’s acceptance, storage, return, or H.20 refusal to return the firearm, provided the dealer acts in good faith to follow program rules and procedures. (4) Persons who relinquish firearms to participating dealers through the program would also receive immunity from liability for actions they take in good faith reliance on program rules and procedures. Confidentiality provisions in the program would allow persons to relinquish their firearms without being stigmatized for being in crisis. (5) Training would be provided to participating dealers in order to provide them with sufficient relevant knowledge to exercise discretion when determining whether to return a firearm that a person had stored with the dealer pursuant to the program. (6) The program would be designed to offer support to persons in crisis by allowing them to safely and temporarily relinquish their firearms, thereby reducing accessibility to firearms in moments of crisis and helping to lower suicide rates in Vermont.
AI Summary
This bill establishes a voluntary firearms storage program in Vermont designed to help individuals experiencing a mental health or personal crisis temporarily store their firearms safely. Under this program, federally licensed firearms dealers can voluntarily choose to participate in providing temporary firearm storage for people who feel they may be at risk to themselves or others. When a person in crisis brings their firearms to a participating dealer, the dealer can securely store the weapons until the individual is no longer considered to be in crisis. The program includes important protections: participating dealers would receive criminal and civil immunity from liability if they act in good faith when accepting, storing, returning, or refusing to return a firearm, and individuals who relinquish their firearms would also be protected from liability. Dealers participating in the program would receive specialized training to help them make appropriate decisions about firearm storage and return. The primary goal of this program is to reduce accessibility to firearms during moments of crisis, ultimately aiming to help lower suicide rates by providing a supportive, confidential option for individuals to temporarily remove potentially dangerous firearms from their immediate possession.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary (on 01/09/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.20 |
| BillText | https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0020/H-0020%20As%20Introduced.pdf |
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