State Patrol requests fee flexibility for firearms background checks; critics urge reliance on FBI/NICS
Staff briefed and the State Patrol urged passage of HB 2,521 to allow fee setting for firearms background checks above the statutory $18 cap to cover program costs; staff estimated a possible increase to about $33 per check and additional revenue of about $3.8 million per year. Remote testimony favored retaining FBI/NICS checks or a statutory cap.
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Committee staff described House Bill 2,521, which would allow the Washington State Patrol to set the fee for the firearms background check program at an amount calculated to cover program costs rather than being constrained by the current $18 statutory cap. Staff said, based on current staffing and workload (about 250,000 checks annually), the fee could be roughly $33 per check, producing about $3.8 million per fiscal year beginning in FY2027.
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