New NC Firearms Legislation
ALERT: HB 937 (see details of bill below) remains in the Senate Rules Committee and it is getting very late in the legislative session. Since the bill passed the House it meets the crossover deadline which means it can be brought back up in the Senate in the short session next year. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened with an earlier restaurant carry bill (HB 111) which passed the House in 2011 but was allowed to languish and die in committee during the 2012 short session. We need this bill to pass committee now so it can receive a floor vote in the full Senate this year. If you support passage of HB 937 you should contact Senate Rules Committee Chairman [email protected] (Ph. 919-733-5745) and Senate President Pro Tempore [email protected] (Ph. 919-733-5708) and politely urge them to allow a floor vote on HB 937 this year.
The following are gun-related bills that have been filed in the NC General Assembly. I am presently tracking 39 bills. The links for each will allow you to read their texts and follow their progress through the legislative process. Each new bill is added to the bottom of this list. I will continue to update this information as new bills are added. Any new movement on existing bills is indicated below in green.
If you support any of these bills I suggest you contact the chairman of the appropriate committee (noted below in the information on each bill) as well as the Senate president (for Senate bills) and Speaker of the House (for House bills) who have the power to have these bills heard.
Speaker of the House: [email protected]
Senate Pro Tempore Phil Berger: [email protected]
House Judiciary Committee Chairman: [email protected]
House Judiciary Subcommittee A Chairman: [email protected]
House Judiciary Subcommittee C Chairman: [email protected]
Senate Judiciary II Committee Co-Chairmen: [email protected]
Senate Rules Committee Chairman: [email protected]
House Rules Committee Chairman: [email protected]
Senate Judiciary I Committee Co-Chairmen: [email protected]
Senate Agriculture Committee Co-Chairmen: [email protected]
House Committee on Environment Co-Chairmen: [email protected]
House Education Committee Co-Chairmen: [email protected]
Senate Education Committee Co-Chairmen: [email protected]
HB 17 – Would make confidential all data regarding CHP and pistol purchase permits. This bill passed the NC House and is now in the Senate Judiciary I Committee.
SB 17 – Concealed carry permits issued by others states to persons who are not a resident of that state shall NOT be valid in North Carolina. This bill has been referred to Senate Judiciary II Committee.
SB 27 – Creates armed school safety marshals to augment security in schools. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
HB 49 – Holds businesses and employers civilly liable for injuries to people who are injured if the businesses or employer prohibit anyone from appropriately securing a firearm in their vehicle while parked at that location, and protects the same from civil liability if anyone is injured by someone using their firearm in self-defense. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
SB 28 – Makes concealed weapon permits and pistol purchase permits confidential rather than a public record. This bill has been referred to Senate Judiciary II Committee. First hearing was on 2/14.
HR 63 – Resolution to oppose any federal infringement on gun rights and the Second Amendment. This resolution has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
SB 59 – Provides for armed guards in all schools K-12. This bill has been re-referred to the Senate Judiciary II Committee.
SB 124 – Makes it a Class E felony to fire a gun inside a building or motor vehicle for the purposes of harming someone or inciting fear. This bill passed the Senate 49 – 0 and and has been re-referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee B.
SB 146 – Authorizes certain employees and volunteers to carry a firearm on the grounds of private schools and authorizes those with concealed carry permits to carry when attending religious services at facilities that also house a private school. This bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary I Committee.
HB 187 – Allows administrator of any private school IN FORSYTH COUNTY ONLY to authorize employees with concealed carry permits to carry on that private school’s property. This bill has been referred to the House Committee on Government; if favorable it will pass to the House Judiciary Subcommittee B and if favorable to the House Rules Committee.
SB 190 – Authorizes the carrying of a firearm in a vehicle on educational property so long as it is not removed from the vehicle except for defensive purposes. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 201 – Authorizes hunters to use suppressors for hunting. This bill passed the Senate and was referred to the House Agriculture Committee. If favorable it will be referred to the House Environment, Judiciary and Rules Committees respectively.
SB 234 – Amends and clarifies the hunter education requirements and establishes a hunter apprentice permit. This bill passed the Senate 49 – 0 and has been placed on the calendar for debate and a floor vote in the House next week (specific date unknown).
HB 246 – Modifies the concealed carry laws and amends the NC Constitution to include them. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
HB 296 – This is the House version of SB 234 which amends and clarifies hunter education requirements. This bill was passed by the House 113 – 0 and sent to the Senate. It has been referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee.
HB 310 – Eliminates mental health checks by sheriffs for issuing concealed handgun permits and requires them to rely solely on information obtained via the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
SB 342 – Authorizes restaurant carry and it also clarifies in specific language the limitations of local governments to restrict concealed carry. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
HB 344 – Establishes uniform standards for reporting mental health and substance abuse judicial findings to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This bill has been assigned to the House Rules Committee.
HB 387 – Amends various criminal laws concerning concealed handgun permits. This bill passed the House 110 – 0 and has been sent to the Senate where it was referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
HB 405 – Exempts judges with concealed carry permits from some restrictions on carry. This bill passed the House and has been assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 408 – Authorizes restaurant carry, authorizes gun owners to keep firearms in vehicles at employer’s work sites and limits the authority of local governments to curtail carry rights. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 410 – Authorizes CHP holders to carry on educational property. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
HB 465 – Declares illegal aliens ineligible to possess firearms. This bill passed the House and has been referred to the Senate Judiciary II Committee. If favorable it will be referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
SB 549 – Makes pistol purchase permits and CHP records confidential. This bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary I Committee.
HB 518 – Declares any ammunition or firearms manufactured solely in NC and remaining in NC to be exempt from federal regulation. This bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
SB 685 – Exempts any judge, magistrate, clerk of court or register of deeds with concealed carry permits from any restrictions upon where they can carry. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
HB 595 – Authorizes law enforcement agencies to establish volunteer school resource officers who are empowered to carry firearms on school property. This bill has been referred to the House Education Committee. If favorable, it will be then referred to the Judiciary Subcommittee B.
HB 624 – Vastly expands firearms rights and concealed carry. This bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
HB 600 – Authorizes clerks of superior court to carry concealed firearms in courthouses. This bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee A.
HB 705 – Establishes uniformity of firearms laws and enacts civil penalties for officials who willfully violate preemption laws via ordinances that exceed state law. This is an attempt to put teeth into preemption laws and prohibit local governments from curtailing gun rights. This bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
HB 697 – Makes it a felony to discharge a firearm within 1000 feet of an elementary or secondary school. The bill provides no exemption for law enforcement or the use of a firearm for self-defense although such matters may be addressed under current NC law. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
HB 452 – Outlines standards for school security and authorizes the creation of armed resource officers. This bill passed the House 116 – 0 and will be referred to the Senate Education Committee.
SB 589 – This is the Senate version of HB 452. It is currently in the Education Committee.
HB 869 – Reduces from 5 years to 3 years the validity of pistol purchase permits and concealed carry permits. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
HB 914 – Requires a purchase permit from the sheriff to buy any firearm including for private sales unless the sale is to an immediate family member. Under current NC law a purchase permit is only required for handguns; however, this bill would extend that to long guns as well and the permit fee would increased from $5.00 to $25.00. It also requires anyone living with a minor to lock up their firearms or render them incapable of being discharged. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
HB 937 – Makes numerous amendments to current firearms laws all of which appear at a glance to be very positive (e.g. restaurant carry, clarify concealed carry in parks, etc.). This bill passed the House and has been assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
HJR 849 – This is a joint resolution that calls for a study of ways to improve firearm safety in the home. My understanding of a resolution is that it merely calls for some action but is not constitute actual law. Any study of home firearms safety has the potential to result in future legislation mandating how firearms may be stored within the home. Such a thing can have adverse consequences toward keeping ready access to self-defense weapons. This resolution has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
HB 942 – Makes it a criminal offense to discharge a weapon “with reckless disregard.” This bill has been assigned to the House Rules Committee.
HB 976 – Would repeal the Castle Doctrine, repeal CHP reciprocity with all other states, require all guns be locked up if you live with a minor or prohibited person, require background checks on all private gun sales, require all gun owners to carry $100,000 in firearms liability insurance and limit magazine capacity to 15 rounds. This bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
