Legislation

In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on several key cases regarding gun rights, reaffirming the Second Amendment while allowing states to impose certain regulations. The rulings have significant implications for future legislation, as they clarify the balance between individual rights and public safety. Legal experts suggest that these decisions will shape the landscape of gun control debates in the coming years. Source: https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/ Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-gun-rights-2024-06-30/Read More →

In 2025, the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act continues to evolve, focusing on enhancing background checks and funding for mental health services. The Act, passed in 2022, aims to address gun violence through community-based programs and stricter regulations on firearm purchases. Recent reports indicate that states are receiving federal funds to improve their background check systems and to support local violence prevention initiatives. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2377/text Source: [broken link removed]Read More →

Texas lawmakers have passed bills aimed at easing access to guns. Senate Bill 3053 bans gun buyback programs. Senate Bill 1596 will allow short-barrel firearms to be legal in Texas without federal registration, removing state-level penalties. Other bills aim to make handgun licensing easier and allow Texas to recognize handgun licenses from other states. Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/01/texas-gun-laws-2025/Read More →

The Oregon Legislature has voted to ban rapid-fire devices and allow local governments to prohibit concealed handguns in certain public buildings. The implementation date for Measure 114, which bans magazines holding more than 10 rounds and requires a permit for gun purchases, is set for March 15, 2026. Source: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/01/oregon-measure-114-gun-control-law-implementation-challenges/Read More →

A new law in New York, similar to California’s, requires consumer warnings when purchasing firearms. Source: https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/us-gun-laws-2025-a-state-by-state-overview/Read More →

New gun laws for 2025 in New Hampshire bar employers from preventing employee storage of firearms in locked vehicles and increase privacy protections for gun owners. Source: https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/us-gun-laws-2025-a-state-by-state-overview/Read More →

Proposed bills for the 2025 session in Maryland include requiring the use of non-lead ammunition for hunting by various dates up to July 1, 2029, and creating an exception to the prohibition on wearing a firearm on private property for retired law enforcement personnel. Other proposals include changing penalties for carrying a handgun without a permit and requiring the distribution of literature relating to firearms by the Maryland Department of Health. Source: https://www.2amaryland.org/2025-legislative-session-preview/Read More →

New laws in Kentucky increase privacy protections by prohibiting the use of merchant category codes for firearms dealers. Source: https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/us-gun-laws-2025-a-state-by-state-overview/Read More →

New laws in Colorado require gun owners to store weapons in locked, out-of-view hard-sided containers when in unoccupied vehicles. Training requirements for concealed carry permits have increased, and certain misdemeanor offenders are prohibited from obtaining these permits. Source: https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/us-gun-laws-2025-a-state-by-state-overview/Read More →

Several new laws are taking effect in California in 2025. These include eliminating an exemption for private party transactions from the one-firearm-per-30-day purchase limit, requiring dealer records of sale to include purchaser acknowledgment of firearm possession within the last 30 days, assigning a specific category code to firearms merchants, and expanding prohibitions on firearm possession to individuals found mentally incompetent to stand trial in certain hearings. New rules also include strengthening limitations on handgun purchases, consumer warnings on firearm sales, and guidance for courts regarding restraining orders related to gun violence. Source: https://www.ca.gov/news/archive/2025/01/01/new-gun-laws-take-effect-in-california/ Source: https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/us-gun-laws-2025-a-state-by-state-overview/Read More →