THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

116

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau to submit a report to the legislature on all current state gun control laws, how they compare with current federal regulations, data on firearm discharges, and data on gun crime in Hawaii.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the country has seen numerous high profile shootings over many decades; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has some of the most comprehensive gun control laws, as well as geography that affords the State the unique opportunity to effectively enforce gun control laws within state boundaries; and

 

     WHEREAS, recent shootings have forced the State to evaluate existing statutes to ensure that they are as adequate and appropriate today as they were when originally enacted; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to compile and submit a report to the Legislature regarding existing gun laws and firearm data for Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of its report, the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to include the following:

 

     (1)  All statutes involving restrictions on:

 

          (A)  The ownership and use of certain types of firearms;

 

          (B)  Modifications to firearms; and

 

          (C)  Accessories or ammunition for firearms,

 

          including statutes that address the caliber or rate of fire of a firearm or prohibited attachments or accessories for a firearm;

 

     (2)  Statutory penalties for the illegal use or possession of a firearm;

 

     (3)  The various processes that citizens of the State must complete with respect to obtaining different types of firearms, including pistols and rifles, and obtaining a license to carry a concealed weapon;

 

     (4)  Circumstances in which an individual may be dispossessed of a firearm or lose the right to possess a firearm, including circumstances involving the individual's mental health, conviction for a felony offense, or arrest or conviction for domestic violence;

 

     (5)  Data on the total number of instances of violent crime in the State over the past decade and, of that number, the number of instances involving a firearm, the number of deaths attributed to a firearm, and the number of firearms deaths caused by an accident or accidental discharge of a firearm;

 

     (6)  With respect to the number of instances of violent crime in which a firearm was used, the number of individuals that had already been previously prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, differentiated by the reason the individual was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, including reasons involving the individual's mental health, conviction for a felony offense, or arrest or conviction for domestic violence;

 

     (7)  Aggregate data on the number of registered firearm owners in the State and the total number of legally permitted firearms; and

 

     (8)  A comparison of state statutes, rules, and regulations to existing federal statutes, rules, and regulations where parallel comparisons are available; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that to assist the Legislative Reference Bureau, the following entities are requested to provide information, upon request, to the Bureau, including:  statistical data; information on federal, state, and county practices and procedures with respect to firearms importation, permitting, registration, licensing, and use; and the disposition of criminal offenses:

 

     (1)  The Honolulu Field Office of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation;

 

     (2)  The Honolulu Satellite Office of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;

 

     (3)  The Judiciary of the State of Hawaii;

 

     (4)  The Department of the Attorney General; and

 

     (5)  The respective police departments of the City and County of Honolulu,  County of Hawaii, County of Kauai, and County of Maui; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Honolulu Field Office of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Resident Agent-in-Charge of the Honolulu Satellite Office of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Governor; the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii; the Attorney General; the mayors of the respective counties; the police chiefs of the respective counties; and the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Firearms; Laws; Data; Report