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Senate passes requirement that gun dealers inform buyers about safety locks
Summary
Substitute Senate Bill 93 would require firearm dealers to affirmatively offer and make available a safety locking device and provide safety information; the bill passed the Senate after floor discussion about verbal notification, employee training and inventory availability.
The Senate approved a substitute of Senate Bill 93, a measure aimed at encouraging firearm safety at the point of sale by requiring dealers to offer purchasers an appropriate safety locking device and provide instructional material.
Senate President Peterson (floor sponsor) described the measure as a compromise between those who would have gone farther and those who wanted no requirement: "the requirement that an individual who purchases a gun be offered affirmatively the opportunity to purchase an appropriate safety locking device for the protection of itself and its family," he said, adding that dealers should also provide safety instruction. Colleagues asked whether the requirement must be verbal and whether written notices or posted signs would suffice; the amendment as debated requires affirmative verbal communication and presumes some employee training so the requirement is enforceable.
Senators also questioned how inventory shortages would be handled; the floor clarified that dealers must offer devices and maintain reasonable availability, but sales need not be halted if an item is temporarily out of stock barring explicit inventory language. The bill includes a civil/administrative penalty for violation (the debate referenced a $50 penalty per the amendment), although enforcement details will be left to statute administration.
After floor debate and clarification, the substitute was read for the third time; the roll-call vote recorded 22 ayes and 3 nays and the bill will be sent on to the House for further consideration.
Next steps: the bill moves to the House for further consideration and any implementing rules or clarifying statutory language will be handled in subsequent stages.
