According to EVERYTOWN for Gun Safety in 2023 the following gun safety bills were not passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives:
HB32- would have prohibited guns in schools or on school grounds. New Hampshire is one of three states where guns continue to be allowed on school grounds and buildings.
HB59 – would have required background checks on all gun sales, which NH does not have. Instead, we still have a loophole allowing persons who are prohibited by law from owning guns to buy them with no background check and no questions asked. That would be from unlicensed sellers, which includes gun shows and online purchases.
HB106 – would have made “Extreme Risk Protective Orders” available in New Hampshire. This would have been a temporary restriction to a person’s access to guns should a civil court judge determine they are a serious danger of using a gun to hurt themselves or others. The bill surprisingly passed in both chambers last year, but the governor vetoed it. This bill would have helped in identifying warning signs before any possible gun violence tragedy took place. Did you know? Almost 90% of gun deaths in NH are by suicide.
Something else a lot of us probably didn’t know, gun violence costs NH $2.2 billion each year. Of that amount, $22.4 million is paid by us, the taxpayers. Also, here in NH during any average year, 141 people die from guns. Nationally, the number is just under 50,000, a year!
Now, moving along to 2024 a new gun violence prevention bill is making its way through the NH Senate. SB577 would require a 72-hour waiting period between purchasing a gun and then taking possession of it. The goal of the proposed bill is for those people who may find themselves in a state of intense agitation or anger some extra time to “cool off.” In that 72-hour waiting period, gun violence to themselves or someone else could, quite possibly, be avoided.
There are some exceptions to the bill; corrections and police officers, hunters, and members of the military. An exception for those who are in fear for their safety and have a restraining order and those who have voiced fear for their personal safety to police.
Right now, the bill is being heard before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee will eventually schedule a vote on whether to recommend the legislation to the full Senate.
Could 2024 be the year when NH finally begins to take gun violence prevention seriously?