House File 2043 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  WINDSCHITL

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to possessing and transferring firearm
  2    suppressors, providing penalties, and including effective
  3    date provisions.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 5071YH (4) 86
    jm/rj

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 724.1, subsection 1, paragraph h, Code
  1  2 2016, is amended by striking the paragraph.
  1  3    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  724.1A  Firearm suppressors ====
  1  4 certification.
  1  5    1.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
  1  6 requires:
  1  7    a.  "Certification" means the participation and assent of
  1  8 the chief law enforcement officer of the jurisdiction where the
  1  9 applicant resides or maintains an address of record, that is
  1 10 necessary under federal law for the approval of an application
  1 11 to make or transfer a firearm suppressor.
  1 12    b.  "Chief law enforcement officer" means the county sheriff,
  1 13 chief of police, or the designee of such official, that the
  1 14 federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives,
  1 15 or any successor agency, has identified by regulation or has
  1 16 determined is otherwise eligible to provide any required
  1 17 certification for making or transferring a firearm suppressor.
  1 18    c.  "Firearm suppressor" means a mechanical device
  1 19 specifically constructed and designed so that when attached to
  1 20 a firearm it silences, muffles, or suppresses the sound when
  1 21 fired and that is considered a "firearm silencer" or "firearm
  1 22 muffler" as defined in 18 U.S.C. {921.
  1 23    2.  a.  A chief law enforcement officer is not required
  1 24 to make any certification under this section the chief law
  1 25 enforcement officer knows to be false, but the chief law
  1 26 enforcement officer shall not refuse, based on a generalized
  1 27 objection, to issue a certification to make or transfer a
  1 28 firearm suppressor.
  1 29    b.  When the certification of the chief law enforcement
  1 30 officer is required by federal law or regulation for making or
  1 31 transferring a firearm suppressor, the chief law enforcement
  1 32 officer shall, within thirty days of receipt of a request for
  1 33 certification, issue such certification if the applicant is
  1 34 not prohibited by law from making or transferring a firearm
  1 35 suppressor or is not the subject of a proceeding that could
  2  1 result in the applicant being prohibited by law from making
  2  2 or transferring the firearm suppressor.  If the chief law
  2  3 enforcement officer does not issue a certification as required
  2  4 by this section, the chief law enforcement officer shall
  2  5 provide the applicant with a written notification of the denial
  2  6 and the reason for the denial.
  2  7    c.  A certification that has been approved under this section
  2  8 grants the person the authority to make or transfer a firearm
  2  9 suppressor as provided by state and federal law.
  2 10    3.  An applicant whose request for certification is denied
  2 11 may appeal the decision of the chief law enforcement officer
  2 12 to the district court for the county in which the applicant
  2 13 resides or maintains an address of record.  The court shall
  2 14 review the decision of the chief law enforcement officer to
  2 15 deny the certification de novo.  If the court finds that the
  2 16 applicant is not prohibited by law from making or transferring
  2 17 the firearm suppressor, and is not the subject of a proceeding
  2 18 that could result in such prohibition, or that no substantial
  2 19 evidence supports the decision of the chief law enforcement
  2 20 officer, the court shall order the chief law enforcement
  2 21 officer to issue the certification and award court costs and
  2 22 reasonable attorney fees to the applicant. If the court
  2 23 determines the applicant is not eligible to be issued a
  2 24 certification, the court shall award court costs and reasonable
  2 25 attorney fees to the political subdivision of the state
  2 26 representing the chief law enforcement officer.
  2 27    4.  In making a determination about whether to issue a
  2 28 certification under subsection 2, a chief law enforcement
  2 29 officer may conduct a criminal background check, including
  2 30 an inquiry of the national instant criminal background check
  2 31 system maintained by the federal bureau of investigation or
  2 32 any successor agency, but shall only require the applicant to
  2 33 provide as much information as is necessary to identify the
  2 34 applicant for this purpose or to determine the disposition of
  2 35 an arrest or proceeding relevant to the eligibility of the
  3  1 applicant to lawfully possess or receive a firearm suppressor.
  3  2 A chief law enforcement officer shall not require access to
  3  3 or consent to inspect any private premises as a condition of
  3  4 providing a certification under this section.
  3  5    5.  A chief law enforcement officer and employees of the
  3  6 chief law enforcement officer who act in good faith are immune
  3  7 from liability arising from any act or omission in making a
  3  8 certification as required by this section.
  3  9    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  724.1B  Firearm suppressors ==== penalty.
  3 10    1.  A person shall not possess a firearm suppressor in this
  3 11 state if such possession is knowingly in violation of federal
  3 12 law.
  3 13    2.  A person who possesses a firearm suppressor in violation
  3 14 of subsection 1 commits a class "D" felony.
  3 15    Sec. 4.  EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT.  This Act, being deemed of
  3 16 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
  3 17                           EXPLANATION
  3 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  3 19 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  3 20    This bill relates to the possession and transferring of
  3 21 firearm suppressors.
  3 22    FIREARM SUPPRESSORS.  Current Iowa law provides that a
  3 23 mechanical device specifically constructed and designed so that
  3 24 when attached to a firearm it silences, muffles, or suppresses
  3 25 the sound when fired is an offensive weapon.  Under Code
  3 26 section 724.3, any person who knowingly possesses an offensive
  3 27 weapon commits a class "D" felony, punishable by confinement
  3 28 for no more than five years and a fine of at least $750 but not
  3 29 more than $7,500.
  3 30    The bill strikes a provision in Code section 724.1(1)(h)
  3 31 that classifies a firearm suppressor as an offensive weapon.
  3 32 By striking this provision, a firearm suppressor is legal to
  3 33 possess in the state.
  3 34    The bill also creates in new Code section 724.1A, a process
  3 35 whereby a person may apply to the chief law enforcement officer
  4  1 of the jurisdiction where the person resides or maintains an
  4  2 address of record for a certification to make or transfer a
  4  3 firearm suppressor.  The bill defines "firearm suppressor" to
  4  4 mean a mechanical device specifically constructed and designed
  4  5 so that when attached to a firearm it silences, muffles, or
  4  6 suppresses the sound when fired and that is considered a
  4  7 "firearm silencer" or "firearm muffler" as defined in 18 U.S.C.
  4  8 {921.
  4  9    The bill specifies that a chief law enforcement officer
  4 10 shall not refuse to provide certification, based on a
  4 11 generalized objection, to an applicant requesting to make
  4 12 or transfer a firearm suppressor.  If a person applies for
  4 13 certification to make or transfer a firearm suppressor with
  4 14 the chief law enforcement officer, the bill requires the chief
  4 15 law enforcement officer to issue the certification within 30
  4 16 days of receiving such an application unless the applicant
  4 17 is prohibited by law from making or transferring a firearm
  4 18 suppressor or the applicant is the subject of a proceeding that
  4 19 could result in the applicant being prohibited by law from
  4 20 making or transferring a firearm suppressor.  If the chief
  4 21 law enforcement officer does not issue a certification under
  4 22 the bill, the chief law enforcement officer shall provide the
  4 23 applicant a written notification of the denial and the reason
  4 24 for the denial.  If the certification has been approved by the
  4 25 chief law enforcement officer under the bill, the applicant
  4 26 has the authority to make or transfer a firearm suppressor as
  4 27 provided by state and federal law.
  4 28    If the applicant's request for certification is denied,
  4 29 the bill specifies that the applicant may appeal the decision
  4 30 to the district court for the county in which the applicant
  4 31 resides or maintains an address of record.  The bill specifies
  4 32 that the court shall review the decision of the chief law
  4 33 enforcement officer to deny the certification de novo.  If the
  4 34 court finds that the applicant is not prohibited by law from
  4 35 making or transferring a firearm suppressor, and is not the
  5  1 subject of a proceeding that could result in such prohibition,
  5  2 or that no substantial evidence supports the decision of the
  5  3 chief law enforcement officer, the bill requires the court
  5  4 to order the chief law enforcement officer to issue the
  5  5 certification and award court costs and reasonable attorney
  5  6 fees to the applicant. If the court determines the applicant
  5  7 is not eligible to be issued a certification, the bill requires
  5  8 the court to award court costs and reasonable attorney fees to
  5  9 the political subdivision of the state representing the chief
  5 10 law enforcement officer.
  5 11    In making a determination about whether to issue a
  5 12 certification under the bill, a chief law enforcement officer
  5 13 may conduct a criminal background check, but shall only require
  5 14 the applicant to provide as much information as is necessary
  5 15 to identify the applicant for this purpose or to determine
  5 16 the disposition of an arrest or proceeding relevant to the
  5 17 eligibility of the applicant to lawfully make or transfer a
  5 18 firearm suppressor. The bill prohibits a chief law enforcement
  5 19 officer from requiring access to any private premises as a
  5 20 condition of providing a certification under this new Code
  5 21 section.
  5 22    A chief law enforcement officer and employees of the chief
  5 23 law enforcement officer who act in good faith are immune
  5 24 from liability arising from any act or omission in making a
  5 25 certification under the bill.
  5 26    The bill provides that a person commits a class "D" felony if
  5 27 the person possesses a firearm suppressor and such possession
  5 28 is knowingly in violation of federal law.
  5 29    The bill takes effect upon enactment.
       LSB 5071YH (4) 86
       jm/rj