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Senate debates firearm-safety training for minors; amendments adopted, fiscal note estimated
Summary
Senate Bill 59 would require proof of firearm-safety training for people under 18, allow parental supervision exemptions, and create limited permitting paths; sponsors accepted floor amendments and cited an amended fiscal note of roughly $42,000. The bill was circled for further consideration.
Senator Montgomery, sponsor of Senate Bill 59, outlined a proposal requiring minors to show proof of a firearm-safety training course to carry or discharge firearms, with limited exemptions for parents or legal guardians supervising children.
Montgomery said the bill would require a 2–3 hour course covering safe handling, storage, transportation, discharge, aiming, loading and unloading. "If we have this law in place for a few years, say a generation, hopefully people will receive this firearm training," he said, and cited data he said showed firearm injuries and deaths among children in recent years.
The bill, presented as a first substitute, contains a coordination clause that would defer aspects of policy to House Bill 54 if that measure passes. Montgomery described several amendments adopted in committee and on the floor, including removing language requiring certification to repair firearms and clarifying that a prior-year hunting license or completion of an approved course would satisfy proof requirements. Montgomery said the parent/guardian exemption allows a minor to carry or discharge a firearm when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Senator David Steele and other senators pressed for technical clarifications on repair and training scope. Steele asked whether the change would bar common youth activities — for example, building muzzleloader kits for merit badges — and Montgomery answered that repair instruction may be taught in the course but the bill is not intended to make minors qualified firearm repairers.
Fiscal impact was a focus. Montgomery said an amended fiscal note prepared by the Department of Public Safety estimated implementation costs of about $42,000 a year if the state had to deliver the additional training; he said many sessions could be delivered by volunteers or existing hunter-safety instructors. Senator Steele asked who would pay for expanded training; Montgomery said some of the work could be performed by volunteer organizations, schools, and existing hunter-safety programs but that an amended fiscal note reflects possible departmental costs.
Senators also noted public comment in committee and letters from stakeholders such as the Utah Sports Shooting Council and the NRA; Montgomery said some public concerns reflected earlier draft language and were addressed by the amendments. Floor action accepted the amendments by voice vote. Leadership moved to "circle" the bill for further consideration after lunch so sponsors can reconcile outstanding questions and fiscal details.
The Senate did not take a final passage vote on SB 59 in this session; the measure was amended on the floor and set aside for later consideration with further questions to be resolved.
