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Committee hears bipartisan bill to exempt firearm safety devices from sales tax
Summary
Sponsors told the House Ways and Means Committee that House Bill 120 would remove sales tax on firearm safety devices such as locks and safes to encourage purchases and potentially reduce accidental shootings; proponents cited examples of similar measures in other states and an estimated fiscal impact from a prior session.
The Ohio House Ways and Means Committee held the first hearing on House Bill 120, a bipartisan measure that would exempt firearm safety devices — such as gun locks and safes — from the state's sales and use tax.
Representatives Brewer and Gross, the bill sponsors, told the panel the exemption is intended to make safety devices more affordable and increase their use. "By removing the tax from these items that increase gun safety, we can encourage the purchase of gun safety devices and potentially lower this number," Representative Brewer said, referring to accidental shootings by children. Representative Gross added that the bill promotes responsible firearm ownership and compared gun safety devices to seat belts and smoke detectors.
Committee members asked about the fiscal impact. Sponsors said an analysis from the previous General Assembly estimated about $1.2 million in lost revenue in the first year and about $2.4 million in the second year, figures the sponsors said were taken from the bill's earlier run. Representative Klick and others cited examples from other states, including Tennessee and Virginia, that use exemptions or refundable credits aimed at increasing purchases of safety devices.
Representative Hall, who identified fiscal concerns, asked whether there was pre-and-post data showing that tax exemptions increased purchases of safety devices in other states. Sponsors said they had seen increases after exemptions were added but did not provide a formal longitudinal study in committee.
Sponsors said they expect additional proponents to testify at later hearings, including representatives of Buckeye Firearms and Moms Demand Action. No vote occurred; this constituted the committee's first hearing on HB120.
