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Senators debate bill to bar firearm possession for assisted outpatient treatment respondents
Summary
Sen. Shanika Henson and proponents urged a ban on firearm access for people under court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment, citing suicide prevention; public defenders and disability advocates warned the bill could sweep in people who are not dangerous and trigger collateral harms through NICS reporting.
An Annapolis committee heard competing views Friday on Senate Bill 509, a measure that would prohibit people subject to court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) from possessing firearms while the order is in effect.
Sen. Shanika Henson (D–District 30A) said the bill is intended to close a “loophole” in Maryland’s AOT statute so that people who are severely ill and under court-ordered outpatient treatment cannot access firearms during the period of supervision. “One of the major impetus for the bill is suicide prevention,” Henson told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, saying AOT respondents are a narrow population “with serious and persistent mental illness” who are at elevated risk.
Supporters framed SB 509 as chiefly a suicide-prevention measure and said law enforcement’s existing enforcement tools could be used to carry out the…
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