Latest news with #HouseBill392
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police, state support legislation to monitor parts for ghost guns
Honolulu police and state law enforcement officials are hoping a proposed piece of federal legislation will help stop the proliferation of untraceable, homemade firearms in Hawaii. The so-called ghost guns are firearms made privately and not marked with a serial number. They are almost impossible for law enforcement to trace when used during a crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Gun Hardware Oversight and Shipment Tracking Act of 2025, aka the 'Ghost Act, ' would create within the DOJ the Federal Interstate Firearm Parts Reporting System to assist law enforcement officers in 'monitoring the shipment or transportation of covered firearm components in interstate or foreign commerce, ' according to draft language of the legislation, introduced today by U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii. The measure would require that five business days before an 'entity ships or transports in interstate or foreign commerce a covered firearm component, ' the entity must register the shipment or transportation of the covered firearm component by submitting the 'name, physical mailing address, phone number or electronic mail address, and the eligible identification number ' of the entity and the intended recipient. Documenting the shipping method, name of the shipper, a list or manifest of items, and the use of registered or certified mail are among the requirements of the proposed legislation. Any violation of the proposed law would result in a fine and up to a year in federal prison. If the violation involves 50 or more 'covered firearm components as part of a single act, commission, conspiracy, or enterprise, ' it is punishable by a fine and up to 10 years in federal prison. State law already bans ghost guns in Hawaii. A measure enacted in 2020 made it a felony to buy, make or import firearm parts for the purpose of assembling guns with no serial numbers. The recently concluded legislative session resulted in further firearms regulation via House Bill 392, which bans ghost guns across the islands. Gov. Josh Green last month signed the legislation, now known as Act 18. Speaking to reporters after a 3D gun-assembly demonstration by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at the Honolulu Police Department's Ke Kula Maka'i training division in Waipahu, Tokuda said the proposed legislation is about public safety and transparency, and that legal firearm owners, manufactures and retailers would not be negatively affected. 'You can have a file downloaded online and print it on a 3D printer, put it all together and you've got a machine gun—right now. That's really what we are fighting here, ' Tokuda said. 'This is about accountability, this is about traceability. This is something that legal gun owners should embrace because, really, we know the ones that are trying to be untraceable are the ones causing chaos on our streets. This in no way infringes on their abilities and their rights … this is about holding people accountable. 'Let's not make it easy for people to buy the parts that they need to make (illegal ) weapons … endangering law enforcement … killing … innocent lives across this country, ' she added. 'That's what the Ghost Act is all about.' Last year, HPD confiscated found during criminal investigations through Oct. 31, a nearly 70 % increase from the 52 found by officers in 2023, the first year the department started tracking the statistic. 'It's a great act to help us in law enforcement have an idea about what and who is bringing parts into the City and County of Honolulu and … the State of Hawaii so we as law enforcement can help keep everyone safe on our streets, ' said Honolulu Police Chief Arthur 'Joe ' Logan, speaking alongside Tokuda and Mike Lambert, director of the state Department of Law Enforcement. Nationally from 2016 through 2021, 45, 240 ghost guns taken from crime scenes, including 692 murders or attempted murders, were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by law enforcement agencies. But county, state and federal law enforcement have no idea of the true number of homemade weapons that are on the street. Lambert said that under the proposed federal statute, lists of regulated firearm parts would be shared with law enforcement. Seeing the number of gun kits and firearm parts being shipped to Hawaii, where they are coming from and who is receiving them would help identify people prohibited from possessing guns. 'We actually have no idea about how many ghost guns … homemade weapons, there are (in Hawaii ) because these parts … (are ) not currently tracked or regulated. We would be able to know … how many of these kits are coming into the state … . Right now we have no clue, ' said Lambert, a former HPD major. 'If you are a legal gun owner and you are selling a part to someone … you want to make sure that individual is allowed to acquire that … (and ) they are a real person and they are not a felon. For me, as a legal gun owner, I have no problem registering a part to know it's going to a real person versus I'm sending it out to someone with a fictitious name and they do something terrible with it.' Ghost guns can be built from scratch or with parts kits, including 'buy-build-shoot ' kits and 3D printers. Buy-build-shoot kits are pre-made, disassembled, complete firearms. Video tutorials on YouTube detail how to make polymer handguns or rifles with the same tools hobbyists use for modeling and crafting. Other instructions online walk viewers though how to build and insert a 10-cent piece of 3D-printed plastic into a personally manufactured AR-15-style assault rifle that allows the weapon to fire automatically. Skilled ghost gun makers can make an assault rifle with a 3D printer in two to three hours.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would add protections for children used as content by social media influencers
House Bill 392 would give legal protections to minors for their appearance in profitable family video content, protections for their privacy and an ability to protect revenue they help generate. A video Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, saw before the session worried her. It dealt with internet safety for children, Zolnikov said, and while she doesn't have a social media account, the video originated on Instagram and led her down a rabbit hole. She started looking through the rest of the account and began learning a little more about what can happen when parents post photos and videos of their children on the internet. That video pushed her to sponsor House Bill 392, which is being called the Child Digital Protection Act. The bill would give legal protections to minors for their appearance in profitable family video content, protections for their privacy and an ability to protect revenue they help generate. The bill had little trouble passing the House before transmittal— there hasn't been a single vote cast against it on the floor or in committee — and is currently in the Senate Energy, Technology and Federal Relations committee. Her research also led her to an organization called Quit Clicking Kids, which has supported similar legislation in other states and spurred her to carry the bill, she said. 'Quit Clicking Kids is centered around the idea that when influencers use their kids for the majority of their content, the kids are the ones generating interest and revenue for that account and deserve to be compensated as such,' the organization's mission statement says. 'These children also deserve the right to privacy, something that they have been cruelly denied once they are continuously featured on public social media accounts.' Simply put, some social media influencers use their kids for content on popular platforms like TikTok and Instagram. During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, some examples Zolnikov used were potty training for young kids and first-time bra shopping for girls. The bill addresses several problems that could come up. For one, as a child grows up, they may not want videos of them on the internet. Content creators, in this case their parents or guardians, can profit from those videos and the bill gives children an ability to have some of that revenue saved for them later in their life. 'As legislators, we aim to protect our kids from a lot of different things. We don't let them go in a coal mine anymore,' Zolnikov said in an interview with the Daily Montanan. 'This is just the next version of that.' The bill does several things. For parents creating content that reaches certain thresholds of monetization, a trust fund would be created for the child, set at $0.10 per video view. It would also give children the 'Right to be forgotten,' which allows for requests to remove content involving minor children after they reach the age of majority. The $0.10 is in line with other state bills, Zolnikov said, adding that it 'might be appropriate' to look at the amount in future legislative sessions. She also added this hasn't been an issue in Montana yet, but that's part of the point of the legislation. She did cite examples from other states, as well as a book — 'The House of My Mother,' which explains one woman's story of abuse stemming from a popular family vlog. 'I don't want a horror story to be able to point to,' Zolnikov said in an interview. 'Because that means there's a horror story.' The bill gives options for children to seek legal remedies for violations of the law. Additionally, the bill would require parents to maintain documentation of the name and age of children involved in content creation, the number of videos they appear in, compensation from videos their parents received, and the amount of money deposited into the trust fund. 'It's not a crime to put pictures and videos of your children on the internet,' Zolnikov said in a Feb. 12 House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations committee hearing. 'It does become an ethical dilemma when all of a sudden you are making a lot of money.' Monetization of video content on social media can be big business. TikTok, for example, has what's called the 'Creator Fund,' which has certain eligibility requirements — 10,000 followers and 100,000 views over the last 30 days. Brands will also pay influencers to market their content. YouTube works similarly. Larger accounts with more views can add advertisements to their videos and get paid for it. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law last year dealing with this issue, and Zolnikov said 14 other states are looking at similar legislation. Zolnikov said a committee member asked if the bill would impact their ability to post photos of their grandchildren on Facebook. She clarified it does not and that it only impacts people who are monetizing content featuring their children. 'It's kind of cliche, but everything is changing so quickly, and I don't think, especially in some contexts where there's a lot of older members, that people don't fully grasp how scary it can be,' Zolnikov said. 'That's why I'm passionate about it.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Statewide single-use plastic bag ban moves forward in the Legislature
House Bill 392, the Single-Use Plastic Bag Act, proposes establishing a statewide ban on the bags, moving the entire state to join Carlsbad, Las Cruces, Silver City, Santa Fe and Taos in reducing plastic waste. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) New Mexicans use at least 330 million single-use plastic bags a year, according to the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Recycling Coalition. These bags are used for 12 minutes on average, but have a life expectancy of 1,000 years. House Bill 392, the Single-Use Plastic Bag Act, proposes establishing a statewide ban on the bags, moving the entire state to join Carlsbad, Las Cruces, Silver City, Santa Fe and Taos in reducing plastic waste. The bill, carried by Rep. Tara Lujan (D-Santa Fe), passed through the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee Thursday on a party line vote of 7-4. It will head to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee next. 'This bill would drastically reduce the amount of litter in the Land of Enchantment by banning single-use plastic bags with some common sense exceptions,' Lujan said the first time the bill was discussed by the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 20. The bill would require stores to charge a 10-cent fee per paper bag, with 3 cents going to the store and the rest going to the municipality or county for litter reduction and outreach. Lujan explained to committee members that municipalities have the choice to 'opt into' the program and adopt an ordinance to do so. If they choose not to join, the seven cents per bag will go to the Environment Department for litter reduction programs. Exceptions to the bag ban include ones used: for takeout food; separating produce for sanitary reasons; prescription drugs; drycleaning and several other situations. HB392 also allows municipalities or the Environment Department to collect fines from a retail establishment if they do not comply. If passed, the bill would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The fiscal impact report notes that in addition to creating microplastics, plastic bags are considered 'contaminants' by materials recovery facilities. They can shut down facility operations for hours if they get wrapped around sorting equipment and it can be dangerous for workers to remove the bags from machinery. The report estimates facilities could save $3.8 million a year if plastic bags were banned. Rep. Jonathan Henry (R-Artesia) asked why the Legislature wouldn't allow municipalities or counties to take the time to make their own decision about adopting a plastic bag ban. 'This has been on the table for quite a while, if you will, and communities have had the opportunity to opt in,' Lujan responded. 'We're at a critical place where we need to take the action and that's what this bill delivers.' Lujan co-sponsored a similar bill in 2023, Senate Bill 243, but it died in committee before it could be discussed on the Senate floor. Albuquerque also established a single-use plastic bag ban in 2020, but the City Council repealed the ban in March 2022, after overriding a veto from Mayor Tim Keller. Danielle Prokop contributed to the reporting and writing of this article. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Hampshire GOP lawmakers join attacks on DEI, target state departments, governor's office
The bill targets the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Equity and the Department of Environmental Services' civil rights and environmental justice programs. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) As President Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington, D.C., seek to eradicate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout the federal government, their state-level allies in New Hampshire are working to do the same in the Granite State. House Bill 392, sponsored by Wakefield Republican Rep. Mike Belcher, seeks to eliminate, and forbid New Hampshire from ever recreating, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Equity, the Department of Environmental Services' civil rights and environmental justice programs, and the Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion. Belcher, in introducing the bill to fellow lawmakers during a hearing Thursday in Concord, said DEI programs 'ought to be considered unlawful and unconstitutional.' He said they were created by 'Marxists' and are 'evil' because they discriminated against people based on 'immutable characteristics.' Belcher argued they were used to unfairly deny scarce medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic and have endangered the stability of electrical grids by shuttering energy facilities that might have a disproportionate environmental impact on lower-income people. While department officials don't take an official position on bills, Ann Landry, associate commissioner of DHHS who oversees the Office of Health Equity, said Wednesday the department has 'very serious concerns' about the bill. She spoke about the department's ability to assist people who do not, or struggle to, speak English; the services it provides to people with disabilities to help them access health care; and programs to help recently resettled refugees – who have legal status – integrate into the U.S. health care system. Landry explained that the office is responsible for ensuring people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to speak English have access to the department's services. 'These are services they are legally eligible for and deserve,' she said. Landry said the office is also responsible for ensuring DHHS is compliant with the 1965 Civil Rights Act, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, and state law. She said not having personnel to ensure compliance with these laws 'would put the state at risk for countless lawsuits and financial penalties.' The office also oversees the federally funded and federally mandated refugee resettlement program, which helps newly arrived refugees, who have legal status, integrate into their new homes, she said. 'The leadership and staff at OHE receive outreach daily from constituents with complex health needs, both clients and their providers, from across the state who are struggling to navigate our health care system,' she said. 'The team helps with the immediate need of that individual, or the provider advocating on behalf of the individual, but then also addresses the larger barrier to care.' Rep. Jessica LaMontagne, a Dover Democrat, asked if she knew of any instances where people were denied services based on their skin color. Landry said she did not. Rep. Jess Edwards, an Auburn Republican, echoed Belcher's assessment on equity efforts, but said his interactions with the office alleviate his concerns. 'The word 'health equity' has jumped out at me as well,' Edwards said. 'I think we've got a situation where whoever came up with the name of that department really regrets it, because they couldn't forecast how the name would basically become synonymous with actual discrimination.' He said he's repeatedly questioned the department about this office, and has concluded 'they are not trying to have any individual demographic get superior care; it's just a search to remove barriers to make sure we all have an equal access to care.' 'Unless they've been lying to me in testimony for the last five years, I would say this is a program that, by and large, most of us can agree to,' he said. 'Each time I've gone into it with my cynicism fully activated, I've been comfortable that the DHHS Office of Health Equity is probably doing good work.' Adam Crepeau, assistant commissioner of DES, also spoke about his department's concerns. He said the bill would put 'some significant federal funds in jeopardy' and potentially lead to the department being referred to the national Department of Justice by shuttering projects that work to ensure it is in compliance with the 1965 Civil Rights Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Those federal funds could total up to $80 million to $90 million, though he acknowledged losing the entirety is unlikely. While the Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion has already been disbanded, the bill seeks to forbid the governor from ever recreating it. Gov. Kelly Ayotte told the Bulletin she hasn't considered doing so. On the bill more broadly, she said she hasn't looked at it yet. At the hearing Wednesday Rep. Trinidad Tellez, a Hooksett Democrat, asked Belcher for evidence of DEI-driven discrimination in New Hampshire. Belcher said that during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the middle of the pandemic, 10% of vaccine doses were withheld to be distributed 'specifically on the basis of skin color.' (The Bulletin reported in 2021 that New Hampshire did indeed set aside 10% of vaccines to be allocated to regions where large minority populations live.) Tellez countered by pointing out that courts threw out two lawsuits that alleged this was discriminatory, finding they were without merit. 'I would not look to judicial precedent to determine whether something is discriminatory or not,' Belcher responded. 'I would look to common sense.' He added that he believes the Legislature can 'adjust judicial precedent' by passing this bill. Regarding New Hampshire potentially losing federal funding by not abiding by federal DEI rules, Belcher argued Trump's recent executive orders and policies suggest the state would not lose funds. 'On the contrary, we are far more likely to lose funding if we do not,' he said. Rep. Jay Markell, an Atkinson Republican, contested Belcher's claim that these DEI programs are unconstitutional. He asked if his previous statements were based on a legal strict scrutiny analysis – to which Belcher said no – and argued that because it's a health care regulation, legally, it simply needs to be related to a legitimate government objective to be constitutional. 'I'm arguing it probably is constitutional,' Markell said. 'You may have different arguments.' The bill was opposed by Building Community in New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Council of Churches, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, and other community organizations Wednesday.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Hampshire GOP lawmakers join attacks on DEI, target state departments, governor's office
The bill targets the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Equity and the Department of Environmental Services' civil rights and environmental justice programs. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) As President Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington, D.C., seek to eradicate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout the federal government, their state-level allies in New Hampshire are working to do the same in the Granite State. House Bill 392, sponsored by Wakefield Republican Rep. Mike Belcher, seeks to eliminate, and forbid New Hampshire from ever recreating, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Equity, the Department of Environmental Services' civil rights and environmental justice programs, and the Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion. Belcher, in introducing the bill to fellow lawmakers during a hearing Thursday in Concord, said DEI programs 'ought to be considered unlawful and unconstitutional.' He said they were created by 'Marxists' and are 'evil' because they discriminated against people based on 'immutable characteristics.' Belcher argued they were used to unfairly deny scarce medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic and have endangered the stability of electrical grids by shuttering energy facilities that might have a disproportionate environmental impact on lower-income people. While department officials don't take an official position on bills, Ann Landry, associate commissioner of DHHS who oversees the Office of Health Equity, said Wednesday the department has 'very serious concerns' about the bill. She spoke about the department's ability to assist people who do not, or struggle to, speak English; the services it provides to people with disabilities to help them access health care; and programs to help recently resettled refugees – who have legal status – integrate into the U.S. health care system. Landry explained that the office is responsible for ensuring people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to speak English have access to the department's services. 'These are services they are legally eligible for and deserve,' she said. Landry said the office is also responsible for ensuring DHHS is compliant with the 1965 Civil Rights Act, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, and state law. She said not having personnel to ensure compliance with these laws 'would put the state at risk for countless lawsuits and financial penalties.' The office also oversees the federally funded and federally mandated refugee resettlement program, which helps newly arrived refugees, who have legal status, integrate into their new homes, she said. 'The leadership and staff at OHE receive outreach daily from constituents with complex health needs, both clients and their providers, from across the state who are struggling to navigate our health care system,' she said. 'The team helps with the immediate need of that individual, or the provider advocating on behalf of the individual, but then also addresses the larger barrier to care.' Rep. Jessica LaMontagne, a Dover Democrat, asked if she knew of any instances where people were denied services based on their skin color. Landry said she did not. Rep. Jess Edwards, an Auburn Republican, echoed Belcher's assessment on equity efforts, but said his interactions with the office alleviate his concerns. 'The word 'health equity' has jumped out at me as well,' Edwards said. 'I think we've got a situation where whoever came up with the name of that department really regrets it, because they couldn't forecast how the name would basically become synonymous with actual discrimination.' He said he's repeatedly questioned the department about this office, and has concluded 'they are not trying to have any individual demographic get superior care; it's just a search to remove barriers to make sure we all have an equal access to care.' 'Unless they've been lying to me in testimony for the last five years, I would say this is a program that, by and large, most of us can agree to,' he said. 'Each time I've gone into it with my cynicism fully activated, I've been comfortable that the DHHS Office of Health Equity is probably doing good work.' Adam Crepeau, assistant commissioner of DES, also spoke about his department's concerns. He said the bill would put 'some significant federal funds in jeopardy' and potentially lead to the department being referred to the national Department of Justice by shuttering projects that work to ensure it is in compliance with the 1965 Civil Rights Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Those federal funds could total up to $80 million to $90 million, though he acknowledged losing the entirety is unlikely. While the Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion has already been disbanded, the bill seeks to forbid the governor from ever recreating it. Gov. Kelly Ayotte told the Bulletin she hasn't considered doing so. On the bill more broadly, she said she hasn't looked at it yet. At the hearing Wednesday Rep. Trinidad Tellez, a Hooksett Democrat, asked Belcher for evidence of DEI-driven discrimination in New Hampshire. Belcher said that during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the middle of the pandemic, 10% of vaccine doses were withheld to be distributed 'specifically on the basis of skin color.' (The Bulletin reported in 2021 that New Hampshire did indeed set aside 10% of vaccines to be allocated to regions where large minority populations live.) Tellez countered by pointing out that courts threw out two lawsuits that alleged this was discriminatory, finding they were without merit. 'I would not look to judicial precedent to determine whether something is discriminatory or not,' Belcher responded. 'I would look to common sense.' He added that he believes the Legislature can 'adjust judicial precedent' by passing this bill. Regarding New Hampshire potentially losing federal funding by not abiding by federal DEI rules, Belcher argued Trump's recent executive orders and policies suggest the state would not lose funds. 'On the contrary, we are far more likely to lose funding if we do not,' he said. Rep. Jay Markell, an Atkinson Republican, contested Belcher's claim that these DEI programs are unconstitutional. He asked if his previous statements were based on a legal strict scrutiny analysis – to which Belcher said no – and argued that because it's a health care regulation, legally, it simply needs to be related to a legitimate government objective to be constitutional. 'I'm arguing it probably is constitutional,' Markell said. 'You may have different arguments.' The bill was opposed by Building Community in New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Council of Churches, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, and other community organizations Wednesday.
