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Committee approves House Bill 1152 on firearm secure-storage requirements after contested debate
Summary
The committee reported House Bill 1152, which establishes secure-storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences and tasks the Washington Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention with public education; the bill was reported out after members debated privacy and enforcement concerns and rejected several amendments.
The Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee reported House Bill 1152 with a due-pass recommendation after lengthy debate over secure-storage mandates for firearms kept in vehicles and residences.
The bill would establish secure-storage requirements for firearms stored or left in vehicles or residences and direct the Washington Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention to educate the public about secure-storage options and benefits. Committee staff described multiple member amendments; during debate the committee examined whether storage-in-residence rules are enforceable, whether existing law already covers safe storage, and how the bill would affect victims of domestic violence.
Why it matters: supporters said the measure targets a documented rise in thefts from vehicles and encourages responsible storage to reduce guns diverted into illegal markets. Representative Wallen cited national and local statistics, telling the committee that “at least 1 gun is stolen from a car every 9 minutes in the United States,” that vehicle thefts of guns have risen and that Washington sees an estimated 4,000 firearms stolen from private citizens each year; he noted local figures such as a gun being stolen out of a vehicle in Tacoma every 57 hours in 2023.
Amendment activity: Representatives proposed multiple amendments. BR204 would have removed vehicle-storage provisions except for vehicles qualifying as a residence; BR205 would have removed residence-storage provisions; BR206 and several other amendments would have changed enforcement and penalty language (including proposals making violations class 4 civil infractions subject to a maximum penalty of $1); BRRR 207 was a striking amendment that would have retained the underlying bill and added a section requiring all Washington residents who own vehicles or occupy residences to obtain and keep in good working order a firearm stored in accordance with the act. None of those amendments were adopted.
Debate highlights: Representative Jacobson argued that residence-storage mandates raise privacy and enforceability concerns and cited Article I, Section 7 of the Washington Constitution on disturbance of a person’s home. Representative Entenmann and others emphasized local police reports that show a high share of stolen guns come from vehicles; Entenmann urged rejection of amendments that would remove vehicle-storage provisions and cited Renton and Tacoma statistics. Representative Graham argued against residence-storage mandates from a public-safety perspective, saying victims should be able to defend themselves and criticizing perceived enforcement failures that leave residents unsafe.
Action taken: The clerk announced the committee roll call on House Bill 1152 as 7 ayes, 5 nays and 1 excused, and the committee reported the bill out with a due-pass recommendation.
What’s next: With a committee recommendation recorded, House Bill 1152 proceeds in the legislative process. The committee record contains the line-by-line debate about residence privacy, vehicle-theft statistics, and enforcement options.
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