Hawaii: Background Check Bill Makes Final Committee Stop

BY NRA NEWS – Senate Bill 69 passed in the House Judiciary Committee by a 3-1 vote last week and will be considered by the House Committee on Finance this Thursday, March 28 at 3:15 PM in House Conference Room 308.  Introduced by state senators Will Espero (D-19), Rosalyn Baker (D-6), Brickwood Galuteria (D-12) and Josh Green (D-3), SB 69 was originally a gun “buyback” bill, but has evolved into a mandatory background check bill on already acquired firearms. Please contact members of the House Finance Committee TODAY in opposition to SB 69.

In its current form, SB 69 would require fingerprinting and processing through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in addition to the already existing registration requirement on ALL firearms brought into the state.  It would also allocate an unspecified amount of money to each county during a time when budgets and Hawaii’s economy are already strained.

Individuals who bring firearms into Hawaii from another state, even on a temporary basis, are already required to register their firearms within three days.  SB 69 extends that time to five days and now requires fingerprinting, photographing AND a background check requirement on the gun owner in addition to the burdensome registration requirement on such legally possessed firearms.

These requirements are so onerous that if one acquired an antique firearm or an unusable or unserviceable firearm, then they would still have to undergo the entire background check, registration and fingerprinting process.  Hunters and shooters beware, precious vacation, shooting and hunting time will be spent in long registration lines while fingerprinting, photographing and background checks are conducted on you and your already acquired firearm!

In summary, what is known is that SB 69 presents no viable solutions that would make improvements to Hawaii, but instead attacks law-abiding citizens who are choosing to exercise the right to own a firearm.

Please contact members of the House Finance Committee TODAY in opposition to SB 69 using their contact information provided here.  Also, please submit your written opposition to SB 69 here.