Bill > HB125

This bill aims to enhance firearm safety by requiring retail sellers to provide purchasers with written notice about firearm storage laws and expanding requirements for secure firearm storage. The legislation mandates that firearms must be stored in a locked box, container, or gun safe, or secured with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock that renders the weapon inoperable by unauthorized persons. Retailers must now provide customers with information about secure storage, and individuals who fail to properly secure their firearms can be fined up to $500. The bill introduces strict liability for damages if an unsecured firearm is used to injure a person or property within two years of a storage violation, with exceptions for self-defense or cases of unlawful entry. The legislation also clarifies the offense of criminally negligent storage of a firearm, specifically when a minor obtains an unsecured weapon without parental permission, which is now classified as a misdemeanor. The bill's purpose is to reduce risks associated with unsecured firearms, including accidental injury, suicide, theft, and domestic violence, drawing support from historical precedents of firearm storage regulations and recent Supreme Court recognition of such regulatory traditions.

Business and Industry, Government Affairs, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=125&year=2025