Bill Text: HI HB1813 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating to Firearms; Terrorist Screening Database
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-22 - The committee on PSM deferred the measure. [HB1813 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2016-HB1813-Amended.html
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1813 |
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO FIREARMS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Terrorist Screening Database, informally referred to as the terrorist watchlist, was established under President George W. Bush in 2003 as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Several different federal agencies can submit information to the watchlist which is administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Terrorist Screening Center. Individuals are placed on the watchlist when there is reasonable suspicion that they are known or suspected terrorists.
According to the United States Government Accountability Office, individuals on the watchlist attempted to purchase firearms from United States dealers at least 2,233 times and succeeded 91 per cent of the time. The legislature concludes that inclusion on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Terrorist Screening Database indicates that an individual poses a serious and potentially threatening risk to public safety that warrants disqualification from firearms ownership, possession, or control under Hawaii law. At least two other states have implemented, and several others are considering, prohibitions on firearms ownership by individuals on the watchlist that are similar to this measure.
The purpose of this Act is to temporarily disqualify a person who is included in the watchlist maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from firearms ownership, possession, or control and rescind the disqualification upon the removal of the person from the watchlist.
SECTION 2. Section 134-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§134-7 Ownership or possession prohibited, when; penalty. (a) No person who is a fugitive from justice or is a person prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law shall own, possess, or control any firearm or ammunition therefor.
(b) No person who is under indictment for, or has waived indictment for, or has been bound over to the circuit court for, or has been convicted in this State or elsewhere of having committed a felony, or any crime of violence, or an illegal sale of any drug shall own, possess, or control any firearm or ammunition therefor.
(c) No person who:
(1) Is or has been under treatment or counseling for addiction to, abuse of, or dependence upon any dangerous, harmful, or detrimental drug, intoxicating compound as defined in section 712-1240, or intoxicating liquor;
(2) Has been acquitted of a crime on the grounds of mental disease, disorder, or defect pursuant to section 704-411; or
(3) Is or has been diagnosed as having a significant
behavioral, emotional, or mental [disorders] disorder as defined
by the most current diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association
or for treatment for organic brain syndromes;
shall own, possess, or control any firearm or ammunition therefor, unless the person has been medically documented to be no longer adversely affected by the addiction, abuse, dependence, mental disease, disorder, or defect.
(d) No person who is less than twenty-five years old and has been adjudicated by the family court to have committed a felony, two or more crimes of violence, or an illegal sale of any drug shall own, possess or control any firearm or ammunition therefor.
(e) No minor who:
(1) Is or has been under treatment for addiction to any dangerous, harmful, or detrimental drug, intoxicating compound as defined in section 712-1240, or intoxicating liquor;
(2) Is a fugitive from justice; or
(3) Has been determined not to have been responsible for a criminal act or has been committed to any institution on account of a mental disease, disorder, or defect;
shall own, possess, or control any firearm or ammunition therefor, unless the minor has been medically documented to be no longer adversely affected by the addiction, mental disease, disorder, or defect.
For the purposes of enforcing this section, and notwithstanding section 571-84 or any other law to the contrary, any agency within the State shall make its records relating to family court adjudications available to law enforcement officials.
(f) No person who has been restrained pursuant to an order of any court, including an ex parte order as provided in this subsection, from contacting, threatening, or physically abusing any person, shall possess, control, or transfer ownership of any firearm or ammunition therefor, so long as the protective order, restraining order, or any extension is in effect, unless the order, for good cause shown, specifically permits the possession of a firearm and ammunition. The restraining order or order of protection shall specifically include a statement that possession, control, or transfer of ownership of a firearm or ammunition by the person named in the order is prohibited. Such person shall relinquish possession and control of any firearm and ammunition owned by that person to the police department of the appropriate county for safekeeping for the duration of the order or extension thereof. In the case of an ex parte order, the affidavit or statement under oath that forms the basis for the order shall contain a statement of the facts that support a finding that the person to be restrained owns, intends to obtain or to transfer ownership of, or possesses a firearm, and that the firearm may be used to threaten, injure, or abuse any person. The ex parte order shall be effective upon service pursuant to section 586-6. At the time of service of a restraining order involving firearms and ammunition issued by any court, the police officer may take custody of any and all firearms and ammunition in plain sight, those discovered pursuant to a consensual search, and those firearms surrendered by the person restrained. If the person restrained is the registered owner of a firearm and knows the location of the firearm, but refuses to surrender the firearm or refuses to disclose the location of the firearm, the person restrained shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. In any case, when a police officer is unable to locate the firearms and ammunition either registered under this chapter or known to the person granted protection by the court, the police officer shall apply to the court for a search warrant pursuant to chapter 803 for the limited purpose of seizing the firearm and ammunition.
For the purposes of this subsection, good cause shall not be based solely upon the consideration that the person subject to restraint pursuant to an order of any court, including an ex parte order as provided for in this subsection, is required to possess or carry firearms or ammunition during the course of the person's employment. Good cause consideration may include but not be limited to the protection and safety of the person to whom a restraining order is granted.
(g) Any person who is named on the Terrorist Screening Database maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or any successor to the Terrorist Screening Database, shall be prohibited from owning, possessing, or controlling any firearm or ammunition therefor until the person is removed from the Terrorist Screening Database or the federal government otherwise indicates that there is no basis for disqualifying the person from owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm or ammunition.
[(g)] (h) Any person
disqualified from ownership, possession, control, or the right to transfer
ownership of firearms and ammunition under this section shall surrender or
dispose of all firearms and ammunition in compliance with section 134-7.3.
[(h)] (i) Any person violating
subsection (a) or (b) shall be guilty of a class C felony; provided that any
felon violating subsection (b) shall be guilty of a class B felony. Any person
violating subsection (c), (d), (e), (f), or [(g)] (h) shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Report Title:
Relating to Firearms; Terrorist Screening Database
Description:
Temporarily prohibits a person listed in the federal Terrorist Screening Database from owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm or ammunition. Requires surrender or disposal of firearms and ammunition. Allows for removal of the disqualification. (HB1813 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.