REPORT FROM THE NRA HAWAII – On March 6, House Bill 679, an NRA instructor liability protection bill, was amended and passed in the state House by a 47 to 4 vote. This bill is now pending in the state Senate Judiciary Committee.
Introduced by state Representative Ken Ito (D-48) and six other state representatives, HB 679 is an NRA-supported bill that would exempt firearms instructors certified by the National Rifle Association from liability for injury or damage caused by discharge of their firearms while providing training required to obtain a permit to acquire firearms. At present, volunteer instructors are vulnerable to Hawaii’s “absolute liability” law.
This is an important measure for not only NRA-certified instructors, but also Hawaii gun owners since once liability protection is established, it will open the door for those seeking to gain instructor status and create more opportunities for gun owners to meet the training standards.
HB 679 is still alive and the NRA has reason to believe that it could be scheduled for a hearing next week. We are working with the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in an effort to ensure this bill is heard prior to the second decking deadline of April 5. Be sure to continue checking your e-mail inbox and www.NRAILA.org for further updates.