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House commerce committee advances bill to regulate gun dealers and ban future sales of certain weapons after lengthy public hearing
Summary
After more than four hours of testimony and debate, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee issued a due‑pass recommendation for the Senate Judiciary substitute to Senate Bill 17, a package that requires stronger dealer security and oversight and would prohibit future sales of certain gas‑operated semiautomatic firearms, 50‑caliber rifles and magazines over 10 rounds. The motion passed 6–5 following an unsuccessful amendment to strip the weapon bans.
Senate Bill 17, presented by Sen. Debbie O’Malley as a gun‑crime prevention measure, won a narrow committee recommendation after an extended public hearing that drew hundreds of speakers and sustained questioning from committee members.
"SB 17 is a gun crime prevention bill," Sen. Debbie O’Malley said during her opening presentation, describing provisions that would require licensed firearm dealers to secure inventory, train employees to identify straw purchases, report thefts, and prohibit future sales of what the bill calls "extremely dangerous weapons." Sponsors said the bill targets trafficking and mass‑shooting risks rather than lawful ownership of presently owned firearms.
Supporters, including victim advocates, health professionals and prosecutors, urged the panel to approve the measure. Mariana Mitcham, senior industry adviser at Everytown and former ATF field official, told the committee that trace data show a high proportion of crime guns originate from in‑state sales and that more granular state reporting would help identify disproportionate sources of trafficked weapons. "We can require gun dealers to secure their…
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