Bill Text: PA SB97 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Providing for purchase of handguns.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-01-29 - Referred to JUDICIARY [SB97 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB97-Introduced.html

  

 

    

PRINTER'S NO.  76

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE BILL

 

No.

97

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY WILLIAMS, KITCHEN, WASHINGTON, TARTAGLIONE, HUGHES AND FARNESE, JANUARY 29, 2009

  

  

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, JANUARY 29, 2009  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania

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Consolidated Statutes, providing for purchase of handguns.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

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Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:

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§ 6105.2.  Purchase of handguns.

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(a)  Handgun purchaser permit.--No person shall sell, give,

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transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of, nor receive, purchase

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or otherwise acquire a handgun unless the purchaser, assignee,

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donee, receiver or holder is licensed as a dealer under this

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chapter or has first secured a permit to purchase a handgun as

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provided under this section.

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(b)  Eligibility.--No person of good character and good

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repute in the community in which he lives, and who is not

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subject to any of the disabilities set forth under this section

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or other sections of this chapter, shall be denied a handgun

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purchaser permit, except as set forth under this subsection. No

 


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handgun purchaser permit shall be issued to any of the following

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persons:

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(1)  A person who has been convicted of a crime.

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(2)  A drug-dependent person, a person who is confined

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for a mental disorder to a hospital, mental institution or

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sanitarium, or to any person who is presently a habitual

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drunkard.

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(3)  A person who suffers from a physical defect or

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disease which would make it unsafe for him to handle

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handguns.

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(4)  A person who has ever been confined for a mental

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disorder or to an alcoholic, unless any of the foregoing

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persons produces a certificate of a medical doctor or

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psychiatrist licensed by the Commonwealth, or other

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satisfactory proof, that he is no longer suffering from that

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particular disability in a manner that would interfere with

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or handicap him in the handling of handguns.

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(5)  A person under 21 years of age.

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(6)  A person where the issuance would not be in the

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interest of the public health, safety or welfare.

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(7)  A person who is the subject of an active protection

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from abuse order issued pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108 

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(relating to relief), which order provided for the

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relinquishment of firearms while the order is in effect.

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(8)  A person who as a juvenile was adjudicated

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delinquent for an offense which, if committed by an adult,

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would constitute a crime, and the offense involved the

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unlawful use or possession of a weapon, explosive or

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destructive device.

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(9)  A person whose firearm is seized pursuant to 23

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Pa.C.S. § 6108 and whose firearm has not been returned.

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(10)  A person who knowingly falsifies any information on

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the application form for a handgun purchaser permit.

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(c)  Issuance.--The chief of police of a full-time police

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department of the municipality where the applicant resides or

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the commissioner, in all other cases, shall, upon application,

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issue to any person eligible under subsection (b) a handgun

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purchaser permit.

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(d)  Denials.--Any person aggrieved by the denial of a

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handgun purchaser permit may request a hearing in the court of

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common pleas of the county in which the applicant resides, if he

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is a resident of this Commonwealth or in the court of common

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pleas of the county in which the application was filed for a

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nonresident. The request for a hearing shall be made in writing

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within 30 days of the denial of the application. The applicant

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shall serve a copy of the request for a hearing upon the chief

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of police of the municipality in which the applicant resides, if

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he is a resident of this Commonwealth, and upon the commissioner

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in all cases. The hearing shall be held and a record made within

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30 days of the receipt of the application for the hearing by the

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judge of the court of common pleas. No formal pleading and no

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filing fee shall be required as a preliminary to the hearing.

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Appeals from the results of the hearing shall be in accordance

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with the law.

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(e)  Applications.--Applications for handgun purchaser

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permits shall be in the form prescribed by the commissioner and

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shall state the applicant's:

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(1)  Name.

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(2)  Residence.

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(3)  Place of business.

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(4)  Age.

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(5)  Date of birth.

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(6)  Occupation.

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(7)  Sex.

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(8)  Physical description, including distinguishing

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physical characteristics, if any.

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(9)  Whether the applicant is a citizen.

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(10)  Whether the applicant is an alcoholic, habitual

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drunkard or drug-dependent person.

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(11)  Whether the applicant has ever been confined or

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committed to a mental institution or hospital for treatment

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or observation of a mental or psychiatric condition on a

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temporary, interim or permanent basis, giving the name and

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location of the institution or hospital and the dates of such

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confinement or commitment.

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(12)  Whether the applicant has been attended, treated or

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observed by any doctor or psychiatrist or at any hospital or

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mental institution on an inpatient or outpatient basis for

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any mental or psychiatric condition, giving the name and

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location of the doctor, psychiatrist, hospital or institution

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and the dates of such occurrence.

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(13)  Whether the applicant presently or ever has been a

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member of any organization which advocates or approves the

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commission of acts of force and violence to overthrow the

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Government of the United States or of this Commonwealth, or

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which seeks to deny others their rights under the

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Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of

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Pennsylvania.

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(14)  Whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a

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crime, or is subject to a protection from abuse order issued

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pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108, prohibiting the person from

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possessing any firearm, and such other information as the

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superintendent shall deem necessary for the proper

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enforcement of this chapter.

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For the purpose of complying with this subsection, the applicant

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shall waive any statutory or other right of confidentiality

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relating to institutional confinement. The application shall be

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signed by the applicant and shall contain as references the

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names and addresses of two reputable citizens personally

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acquainted with him.

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(f)  Application blanks.--Application blanks shall be

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obtainable from the superintendent, from any other officer

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authorized to grant a handgun purchaser permit and from licensed

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retail dealers.

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(g)  Fingerprints.--The chief police officer of the

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municipality in which the applicant applies, or the

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commissioner, shall obtain the fingerprints of the applicant and

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shall have them compared with all records of fingerprints in the

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municipality and county in which the applicant resides and also

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the records of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal

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Bureau of Investigation, provided that an applicant for a

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handgun purchaser permit who possesses a valid and lawfully

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issued license under this chapter, or who has previously

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obtained a handgun purchaser permit from the same licensing

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authority for which he was previously fingerprinted and who

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provides other reasonably satisfactory proof of his identity,

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need not be fingerprinted again; however, the chief police

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officer or the commissioner shall proceed to investigate the

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applicant to determine whether or not the applicant has become

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subject to any of the disabilities set forth under this chapter.

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(h)  Granting of permit; fee; term; renewal; revocation.--The

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application for the handgun purchaser permit together with a fee

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of $5 shall be delivered or forwarded to the licensing authority

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which shall investigate the same and, unless good cause for

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denying the application appears, shall grant the permit, if

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application has been made, within 30 days from the date of

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receipt of the application for residents of this Commonwealth

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and within 45 days for nonresident applicants. A handgun

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purchaser permit shall be valid for a period of 90 days from the

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date of issuance and may be renewed by the issuing authority for

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good cause for an additional 90 days. A handgun purchaser permit

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shall not be valid if the holder becomes subject to any of the

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disabilities set forth under subsection (b). In this case, the

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permit shall be void and shall be returned within five days by

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the holder to the commissioner, who shall then advise the

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issuing authority. Failure of the holder to return the handgun

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purchaser permit to the commissioner within five days shall be a

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misdemeanor of the first degree. Any handgun purchaser permit

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may be revoked by the court of common pleas of the county where

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it was issued, after hearing upon notice, upon a finding that

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the holder no longer qualifies for the issuance of a permit. The

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county prosecutor of any county, the chief police officer of any

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municipality or any citizen may apply to the court of common

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pleas at any time for revocation of the permit.

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(i)  Additional conditions or requirements.--There shall be

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no conditions or requirements added to the form or content of

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the application, or required by the licensing authority for the

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issuance of a permit, other than those that are specifically set

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forth under this section.

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(j)  Disposition of fees.--All fees for permits shall be paid

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to the State Treasury if the permit is issued by the

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commissioner, to the municipality if issued by the chief of

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police and to the county treasurer if issued by the judge of the

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court of common pleas.

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(k)  Form of permit; quadruplicate; disposition of copies.--

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The permit shall be in the form prescribed by the commissioner

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and shall be issued to the applicant in quadruplicate. Prior to

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the time he receives the handgun from the seller, the applicant

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shall deliver to the seller the permit in quadruplicate and the

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seller shall complete all of the information required on the

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form. Within five days of the sale, the seller shall forward the

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original copy to the commissioner and the second copy to the

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chief of police of the municipality in which the purchaser

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resides, except that in a municipality having no chief of

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police, such copy shall be forwarded to the commissioner. The

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third copy shall be returned to the purchaser with the pistol or

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revolver and the fourth copy shall be kept by the seller as a

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permanent record.

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(l)  Restriction on number of handguns a person may

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purchase.--Only one handgun shall be purchased or delivered on

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each permit.

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(m)  Firearms passing to heirs or legatees.--Notwithstanding

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any other provision of this section concerning the transfer,

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receipt or acquisition of a firearm, a permit to purchase shall

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not be required for the passing of a firearm upon the death of

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an owner to his heir or legatee, whether the same be by

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testamentary bequest or by the laws of intestacy. The person who

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shall receive or acquire the firearm shall, however, be subject

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to all other provisions of this chapter. If the heir or legatee

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of the firearm does not qualify to possess or carry it, he may

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retain ownership of it for the purpose of sale for a period not

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exceeding 180 days or for a further limited period as may be

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approved by the chief law enforcement officer of the

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municipality in which the heir or legatee resides or the

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commissioner, provided that the firearm is in the custody of the

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chief law enforcement officer of the municipality or the

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superintendent during the period.

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(n)  Sawed-off shotguns.--Nothing in this section shall be

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construed to authorize the purchase or possession of any sawed-

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off shotgun.

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(o)  Applicability.--Nothing in this section shall apply to

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the sale or purchase of a visual distress signaling device

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approved by the United States Coast Guard, solely for possession

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on a private or commercial aircraft or any boat; provided,

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however, that no person under 18 years of age shall purchase nor

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shall any person sell to a person under 18 years of age such a

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visual distress signaling device.

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(p)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

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words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this

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subsection:

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"Commissioner."  The Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State

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Police.

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"Handgun."  Any pistol, revolver or other firearm originally

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designed or manufactured to be fired by the use of a single

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hand.

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Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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