Latest firearm legislation focuses on protecting victims
Apr 21, 2017, 9:50 AM | Updated: 11:03 am
Rep. Drew Hansen (D- Bainbridge Island) proposed legislation that would toughen the consequences on people who fail background checks. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
There was a huge win for domestic violence victims after the Washington state Senate approved legislation requiring victims are notified when their abuser tries to illegally buy a gun.
The legislation was thought dead until a surprise vote Thursday night.
Lawmakers received input from the NRA to craft the bill. Now, it heads back to the House which is is expected to sign off on some amendments — and the governor is expected to sign it.
Original story
In 2014, Washington State voters approved universal background checks for gun buyers. But what happens to felons, domestic abusers and others who fail those background checks and illegally try to buy a gun?
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Not much, as it turns out. However, there’s an effort in Olympia to change that.
The idea behind House Bill 1501 began with a conversation between State Representative Drew Hansen (D-Bainbridge Island) and another lawmaker last year.
“If a criminal tries to buy a firearm from a gun store and fails a background check, does law enforcement get notified? Do domestic violence survivors get notified if criminals are ineligible because of a restraining order? Do cops on the street get notified?” Hansen asked. “The answers to those questions are no, no, and no.
“Our bill makes the answers to those questions yes, yes, and yes.”
The bill adds teeth to the universal background check law.
“We had over 3,000 failed background checks in Washington state last year,” Hansen said. “About half of which were failed because the purchaser was a criminal or fugitive … That is a lot of dangerous people trying to buy firearms.
“If you walk into a gun store and you know you’re ineligible and you try to buy a firearm anyway and get caught and turned down, there should be an investigation, an arrest, and, in appropriate cases, prison time.”
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg agrees. When voters passed universal background check law, there was an implied understanding that there would be consequences for someone who fails a background check, he said.
Hansen says one of the key parts of the legislation is making sure victims, especially domestic violence survivors, are notified when their abuser is trying to arm themselves.
Lying on an application is a felony, and under federal law punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Right now, however, there really isn’t much follow up happening.
The legislation would target domestic abusers, felons, people who have been involuntary committed, and people with warrants.
It would also require failed background checks to be reported to local law enforcement. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs would also maintain a statewide system to handle the notifications for domestic-violence survivors.
State grants would help local police agencies pay for the needed follow-up. Prosecutors and local law-enforcement agencies, including the Seattle Police Department, support the legislation. Hansen says they worked closely with the National Rifle Association to ensure Second Amendment rights were protected.
Hansen says it passed out of the House with overwhelming bipartisan support — so he’s hopeful they’ll get this one on the books this session.
