Latest news with #HouseBill1163
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
You will need state permit to buy guns in WA under new law
contributed to this story. Starting in 2027, people living in Washington will be required to get a permit and pass live-fire training before they can buy a gun. Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1163 into law on Tuesday. Democrats argued that this bill will help prevent gun violence and suicides. Republicans and 2nd Amendment advocates, on the other hand, are calling the law unconstitutional. To apply for a permit, applicants will submit their fingerprints, they must pass a detailed background check, and complete a state-certified gun safety course that includes live-fire training. During their gun safety course, applicants will go to a range, learn how to handle a gun, demonstrate basic shooting proficiency, and learn about secure gun storage. Once you complete the course, you will receive a certificate of completion that you must provide when making a purchase. Firearm dealers won't be allowed to complete a sale unless the buyer shows their valid permit. The bill also expands rules for firearm transfers. All guns must now be logged and reported. This includes rifles, shotguns, handguns, and semi-automatic rifles. Washington's Department of Licensing (DOL) will retain those transfer records, and the state's background check program will conduct annual eligibility checks to revoke permits if a holder becomes legally disqualified. Those interested in applying for a concealed pistol license must complete a live-fire training requirement. If someone already holds a valid purchase permit, they'll be exempt from another background check when applying for a CPL. Yes. There are exemptions for law enforcement, military personnel, armed security guards, and private investigators—but they'll have to show proper ID.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washingtonians will need state permit to buy guns under new law
Guns are shown at Caso's Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor) Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday signed into law a controversial policy requiring gun buyers to first pay for a new state permit. Starting in two years, House Bill 1163 will require those interested in purchasing guns to apply for a five-year permit through the Washington State Patrol. Applicants must pay a fee and have completed a certified firearms safety training program within the past five years, with limited exceptions. 'Gun violence in Washington state breaks apart too many families and kills too many children,' Ferguson said. 'We must put commonsense reforms into place that save lives.' Ferguson, a Democrat, advocated for gun control in his three terms as Washington's attorney general. The permit system, set to take effect on May 1, 2027, goes beyond the state's existing background checks, which also require proof of completion of a firearm safety course. Washington also has a 10-day waiting period after a gun dealer requests a background check before they can hand over the gun. State authorities will have to approve one of these new permits if the applicant meets the criteria, as long as they aren't the subject of an arrest warrant or barred from having guns in the first place. The state patrol must issue the permit within 30 days, or 60 days if the applicant doesn't have a state identification card. If an applicant feels the state wrongly denied them a permit, they can appeal in court. The state patrol expects the new program will cost just over $20 million in the 2027-29 budget cycle. Fees collected for fingerprinting and background checks would offset the cost. The system could bring in over $35 million in the 2027-29 biennium, according to the latest fiscal analysis. The measure passed the Legislature along party lines, with Democrats in support. Democrats say the law will strengthen the state's efforts to limit gun violence and suicides. The bill's prime sponsor, Rep. Liz Berry, D-Seattle, said the law has been a decade in the making. 'I am a mom of two young kids, and I'm someone who has lost someone I love to gun violence,' she said Tuesday. 'This bill is transformative for our state, and we're not done. We've got more to do.' Republicans and gun owners counter that the law is an unconstitutional barrier to the right to bear arms, which is embedded in the state and U.S. constitutions. Some critics insist the law will face court challenges in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 in which the justices ruled new gun laws need to be aligned with the nation's 'historical tradition of firearm regulation.' About a dozen other states have such permit-to-purchase systems. Courts across the country have largely upheld them. This month, the state Supreme Court upheld a similarly divisive ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines in a 7-2 ruling, but didn't grapple with whether Washington's law stayed true to the historical tradition. Opponents of that law vowed to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on Second Amendment grounds. The new permit-to-purchase law was the primary piece of gun control legislation lawmakers approved in Olympia this year. Failed measures would have restricted bulk purchases of ammunition and firearms, imposed an excise tax on firearm and ammunition sales, added new requirements for weapons dealers and further limited the public places where people can carry firearms.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington lawmakers wrap up legislative session
Sunday marked the final day of the 2025 legislative session for Washington State. While those lawmakers take a break, plenty of paperwork now sits on Governor Bob Ferguson's desk. It was a hard-fought legislative session, with 105 days of debates and deliberation. Now, the real work begins for Governor Bob Ferguson, who will be pouring over the proposed bills for the next several weeks. Bills that directly impact Washington residents, including everything from gun laws to rental increases. The governor inked nearly 20 bills into law at the end of last week, and he's expected to sign another bill tomorrow at 1 p.m. There could be a few more on the docket, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Amongst the most hotly contested, impacting a wide range of residents, is House Bill 1217, focused on capping rent hikes. It limits annual increases to 7% (plus inflation) or 10% total (whichever is lower) and, up to 5% for manufactured homes. There's also Senate Bill 5041, which allows workers on strike to receive unemployment insurance benefits for up to six weeks. As well as House Bill 1163, aimed at strengthening public safety with a firearm permit-to-purchase law. Unless they're called into a special session, the legislature will not meet again until the new year. The governor's office has already signed 169 bills since April 4. Governor Ferguson offered his thoughts following the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, with a statement that reads, in part: 'I want to thank our legislators, staff and my team, for all their hard work this session as we faced a $16 billion budget shortfall. I look forward to carefully reviewing the budgets line by line over the next few weeks. When that review is complete, I will share my thoughts with the public in greater detail.' The governor has also directed Washington lawmakers to brace for additional hostility from the federal government, as there are plans in place to withhold funds from sanctuary cities nationwide. Here in Washington, that includes Olympia and Seattle. KIRO 7 will be on the lookout for the latest from both our state and nation's capitols and how it affects you.
Axios
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Washington lawmakers approve gun permit bill, send it to governor
Washington state lawmakers have approved a measure that requires people to obtain a permit before buying a gun. The big picture: The permit-to-purchase bill builds on recent gun control measures passed in Washington state, which have included bans on selling high-capacity firearm magazines and so-called assault weapons. State of play: The gun permitting measure, which won final approval in the Washington state House on Tuesday, now heads to the desk of Gov. Bob Ferguson. It was the highest-priority gun control policy this year for top legislative Democrats, who control both the state House and state Senate. What's inside: The legislation, House Bill 1163, would require most people in Washington to have completed a certified firearms safety training course within the previous five years before they can get a permit to buy a firearm. Prospective gun owners would have to apply for the permit and pay a fee to the Washington State Patrol, which runs firearm background checks. If the required training has been completed, the State Patrol would have to grant permit applications unless someone is restricted from owning a firearm for another reason, including having an outstanding arrest warrant or being subject to a no-contact order. Military members and police officers can be exempted from the training requirement, as can private investigators and armed security guards. What they're saying: State Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), the bill's lead sponsor, told Axios the bill "will make sure that the wrong people don't get access to firearms and that guns aren't diverted to the black market and crime." "If this policy saves one life, it's worth doing," Berry said. The legislation passed on a party-line vote, with all Republicans in the chamber voting no. The other side: State Sen. Jeff Holy (R-Cheney) said during a floor debate earlier this month that the measure affects people's ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights and is sure to face legal challenges. He compared the bill to "a poll tax for access to your constitutional guarantees." What's next: Ferguson could choose to sign the legislation as is, let it become law without his signature, or veto all or part of it.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Permit-to-purchase bill for gun buyers headed to WA governor's desk
(Photo by Aristide Economopoulos for States Newsroom) A new state permit requirement for gun buyers is poised to become law, as the Washington House sent the legislation to the governor's desk late Tuesday. House Bill 1163 would require gun buyers to apply for a five-year permit from the Washington State Patrol. To qualify, applicants must pay a fee and have completed a certified firearms safety training program within the past five years, with some exceptions. On a 57-39 vote Tuesday, Democrats in the House agreed with small changes the Senate made. Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat and gun control advocate, will decide the bill's fate. The amendments included adding exemptions from the training mandate for licensed armed security guards and private investigators and delaying the effective date to May 2027. Rep. Liz Berry, D-Seattle, said if Washington had the permit requirement in place a decade ago, the state would've seen about 250 fewer homicides and nearly 1,000 fewer suicides. 'Permit to purchase systems save lives,' Berry said in debate on the House floor. 'They work. They make sure that guns don't get into the hands of the wrong people. They make sure that guns aren't diverted to black markets, and they prevent crime.' Republicans argue criminals would ignore the requirement, so the legislation would do little to promote public safety while placing another hurdle to the constitutional right to bear arms. Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, said the bill 'is not just unconstitutional,' but also 'it is no guarantee that one murder will be prevented, that one assault will be prevented, that one suicide will be prevented.' About a dozen other states have such permit-to-purchase systems. Courts across the country have largely upheld them. Under the Washington legislation, if an applicant has completed the firearm safety course, the state has to approve the permit unless the person is barred from having guns, out of custody on bond awaiting trial or sentencing on felony charges, or the subject of an arrest warrant. Troopers must issue the permit within 30 days, or 60 days if the applicant doesn't have a state ID. State patrol anticipates receiving at least 100,000 applications per year, with over 40 employees tasked with handling them. The agency expects the new program will cost nearly $20 million in the 2027-29 budget cycle. Fees collected for fingerprinting and background checks would offset the cost, according to a fiscal analysis. The system could bring in $31 million in the 2027-29 budget.
