Gun Violence Prevention Legislation in PA
We are partnering with CeaseFirePA to pass these lifesaving gun violence prevention bills.
The following bills passed in the PA State House and are now awaiting a hearing & vote in PA Senate Judiciary Committee:
Extreme Risk Protection Orders (HB 1018)
This bill allows family members and law enforcement to petition a judge to temporarily remove guns from a loved one in crisis, without subjecting them to an involuntary mental-health commitment. See fact sheet for more information.
This bill was passed by the State House on May 22, 2023.
Universal Background Checks (HB 714)
Currently, all firearm sales from licensed gun stores require a background check for all purchasers. However, this requirement does not currently extend to individual sales of guns. This bill closes a loophole in our state's background check law. Currently, private sales of long guns - including assault weapons - are exempt from the criminal background check process that applies to all sales at gun shops and to private sales of handguns. See fact sheet for more information.
This bill was passed by the State House on May 22, 2023.
Treating Ghost Guns as Real Guns (House Bill 777)
This bill would require individuals who make guns to put serial numbers on the firearm's parts. Guns without serial numbers are often referred to as "ghost guns," which are untraceable firearms that anyone can buy without undergoing a background check. The bill would also require serial numbers to be stamped on gun parts that are not otherwise required to be serialized under federal firearms law.
This bill was passed by the State House on March 26, 2024.
The following bills had hearings in the PA State House and now await a vote.
Safe Storage of Firearms (HB 1629)
This bill requires firearm owners to be responsible and securely store their weapons in the home when a child may be present. See fact sheet for more information.
House Bill 335: This bill would prohibit the sale and possession of parts designed to accelerate the fire rate of a semiautomatic firearm to simulate the rate of fire of an automatic machine gun. This includes "bump stocks."
House Bill 336: This bill would ban the possession and sale of assault weapons in the state. The bill would affect semiautomatic and burst-fire weapons, as well as guns that have features including military-style grips and magazines with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds.
House Bill 1157: This bill would shorten the time that courts have to report to state police if a person's mental health status would disqualify them from owning a firearm. If passed, the bill would reduce the timeframe for notification from seven days to between 72 and 96 hours.
House Bill 1190: This bill would require 3-D-printed firearms to be treated as standard firearms and subjected to all standing laws and regulations. The bill would also prohibit anyone from printing a firearm without a federal license.
This bill failed by 1 vote in the PA House on May 22, 2023. A different version may be introduced later.
Lost or Stolen Gun Reporting (HB 338)
This bill requires gun owners to report the loss or theft of a firearm within three days of discovering the firearm is gone. See fact sheet for more information.
