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Psychiatric experts and advocates back temporary firearm surrender under AOT plan
Summary
Witnesses supporting HB 13o6 told the committee the bill would permit courts to require temporary firearms surrender during court‑ordered assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) to reduce suicide risk, while allies and some advocates debated enforcement mechanisms (show‑cause vs. contempt) to preserve treatment trust.
Sponsor Delegate Scott Phillips told the Judiciary Committee HB 13o6 would add a temporary civil surrender and storage process for firearms during court‑ordered assisted outpatient treatment, allowing courts to order relinquishment without creating criminal penalties. "The goal is compliance and safety, not punishment," he said.
Mental‑health experts urged the committee to back the proposal as an evidence‑based suicide‑prevention step. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, director of adult psychiatric emergency services at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said reducing ready access to lethal means during acute risk is one of the most effective interventions to prevent suicides. "When a firearm is used in a suicide attempt, death occurs in the vast majority of cases," she said.
Panelists debated enforcement mechanisms. Sponsors proposed a show‑cause hearing and civil enforcement instead of contempt powers or immediate search warrants, concerned that heavy enforcement could undermine the trusting relationship between AOT patients and their treatment teams. Evelyn Burton of the Schizophrenia and Psychosis Action Alliance opposed court contempt or search warrants to enforce surrender, arguing they could destabilize patients and raise the risk of fatal law‑enforcement encounters.
Legal and clinical witnesses described an amended enforcement approach that allows courts to hold show‑cause hearings and coordinate with treatment teams to achieve voluntary surrender, while reserving civil contempt mechanisms only as a last resort and preserving a restoration pathway when orders expire.
Ending — The panel concluded after technical questions and sponsor amendments were circulated for the committee record; the bill remains under committee consideration.
