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Committee narrows membership language for firearm-surrender compliance working group
Summary
S.109 adds a firearm-surrender-order compliance working group; committee changed draft text to put federal firearms licensees (FFLs) on the working group and sportsmen's groups on the consultees list, and clarified compensation rules for non-government members.
The House Judiciary Committee discussed Section 24 of S.109, which would create a firearm-surrender-order compliance working group to standardize procedures for surrendering firearms when courts issue relief-from-abuse orders, extreme-risk protection orders and similar orders.
Eric Papadzek of the Office of Legislative Council told members the working group is intended to harmonize processes used under several statutes that permit temporary or permanent surrender of firearms; it does not expand the substantive grounds for surrender. Committee members and witnesses debated which outside stakeholders should be formal members and which should be consultees.
Committee members said they intended a federal firearms licensee (FFL) to be included among working-group members and that the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs should be listed among consultees. Papadzek confirmed the changes and explained a technical edit distinguishing consulting "the organization" from consulting a single member.
The draft also added language to allow non-governmental appointees on the working group to receive compensation and reimbursement for their participation. Papadzek said that language was included because some potential participants would not be state employees and would need reimbursement for travel and time.
Committee members asked whether a member of a sportsmen's organization could also serve as the FFL representative; Papadzek said that was permissible. No formal vote was taken; members agreed to the clarified membership and compensation language as part of the bill review.
