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Committee hears 'Donna’s Law' bill to let people voluntarily suspend firearm purchases during mental‑health crises
Summary
Sponsor described HB 737 as a voluntary, confidential ‘do‑not‑sell’ option to pause a firearm purchase for 21 days; witnesses including a law professor and mental‑health advocates said cooling‑off can prevent impulsive suicides while members pressed on logistics and confidentiality.
Representative Ed Staffman opened HB 737 by describing the bill — often called Donna’s Law in other states — as a voluntary option allowing people who fear they may be suicidal to temporarily suspend their ability to purchase firearms by placing their name on a confidential list.
Staffman said the list would be maintained by local sheriffs and checked by gun dealers during a purchase attempt; “it is completely voluntary,” he told the committee. Frederick Vars, a law professor testifying online, said the program complements safe‑storage laws and that voluntary, confidential suspensions can save lives because many suicidal acts are impulsive.
Committee members asked detailed questions about the mechanics: who would upload and remove names, how quickly entries would be checked by dealers, whether mistakes could lock people out unfairly, and what protections exist for confidentiality and to restore rights. Sponsors said sheriffs would upload records electronically and the bill includes confidentiality protections; sponsors and witnesses pointed to pilot programs and early enrollments in other states as evidence of feasibility.
No committee vote was recorded at this hearing; members requested clarifications and raised concerns about administrative mechanics and potential unintended consequences.
