Legislation would create working group to standardize firearm-surrender process; stakeholders press to add FFLs

The Vermont Judiciary Committee on April 10 heard testimony supporting Section 25 of draft S.109, which would create a working group to recommend a uniform process for executing court-ordered firearm surrenders.

Committee Chair opened the discussion of Section 25 and invited testimony. Charlie Glisserman, policy director at the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, told the committee the network is “generally supportive of the revised working group language.” He said the group should “recommend a uniform process for executing existing laws on firearm surrender orders” and endorsed adding a federal firearms licensee (FFL) to the working group for technical expertise.

The case for including FFLs was pressed by Chris Bradley, president and executive director of the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. “We support s 1 0 9,” Bradley said. He told the committee that the problem is not only ensuring firearms are taken when ordered but also fixing the “back end” — how seized firearms are stored, tracked and returned. He described a case involving Green Mountain Sporting Goods,…