Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the S329 Firearms topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate advances bill to bar firearms in establishments that serve alcohol, adds penalties and transfer clarifications
Summary
The Senate amended and ordered third reading of S329, a wide-ranging firearms bill that adds an enhanced penalty tier for repeat offenses, clarifies prohibited categories (including people 'in need of treatment'), allows shipping time to count toward a 72‑hour waiting period, and would prohibit firearms on premises licensed to serve alcohol; the amendment passed on a roll call, Ayes 17, Nays 13.
The Senate amended and ordered third reading of S329 on a roll call after extended floor debate over whether a statewide ban on firearms in premises that serve alcohol is appropriate.
Senator from Chittenden (Speaker 4), the bill reporter, told senators the measure creates a second-tier felony for repeated violations of firearm-possession prohibitions, saying the committee intends the enhanced penalty to target a pattern of offenses: "a person would have to be convicted 3 times" to trigger the felony, punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine not to exceed $5,000.
The bill also narrows the list of offenses that strip firearm rights (removing "dispensing" from the statute's definition of triggering violent-crime disqualifiers) and adds a class of prohibited persons mirroring federal categories, including people found to be "in need of treatment." The reporter said restoration is possible through a petition process rather than permanent forfeiture.
Committee discussion addressed the statutory waiting period for transfers. Under current law a 72‑hour waiting period was created to "cool off" potential purchasers; S329 would allow the shipping time to count toward that period if the transferee provides verified tracking and a receipt, reducing the need for an extra trip to the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) for the purchaser.
The bill mirrors federal machine-gun prohibitions so state prosecutors can bring parallel charges if needed; it also requires that certain mental-health related prohibitions be entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) so prohibitions are enforced at federal background checks.
Floor debate ranged from support for sensitive-space prohibitions to objections that the bill imposes a statewide solution for a problem the speaker for Essex (Speaker 11) said is localized. "Vermont doesn't have a gun problem," the Senator from Essex said, arguing the bill "won't go very far" and that local prosecution could address specific hotspots. Supporters pointed to recent shootings and law-enforcement testimony urging protections for places where alcohol consumption may impair judgment.
After senators debated carve-outs for licensees, law-enforcement on duty, and the status of sidewalks and outdoor seating, the chamber voted on the committee-recommended amendment by roll call. The secretary announced: "Those voting, yes, 17. Those voting, no, 13." The chair announced the ayes have it and the Senate ordered third reading of S329.
Next steps: the bill is set for third reading with an amendment adopted on the floor; additional amendments were flagged during floor remarks and may be proposed during third reading.
