EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The proposed “safe storage law” was approved by the Rhode Island House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Thursday by a margin of 9-5.
The vote approved both a version introduced in the House by state Rep. Justine Caldwell and a Senate version sponsored by state Sen. Pam Lauria that passed in March .
READ MORE: RI Senate green lights firearm storage legislation Democratic state Reps. Arthur Corvese, David Bennett, and Thomas Noret were ‘no’ votes. Republican state Reps. David Place and Sherry Roberts also joined the column of those voting down these bills.
State Rep. Jason Knight, a Democrat who cosponsored Caldwell’s bill, was absent from the session Thursday.
If the bill becomes law, gun owners would be required to lock up their firearms when not using them. Language in the legislation defines this as having a firearm “secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device.”
The legislation would make violating the law a civil offense. A first offense would result in a $250 fine, then $1,000 for the next time, and any further violations would be an additional $500 fine or six months in prison.
The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV), which supported the bills, applauded the committee for passing them.
“A very important aspect of this legislation is the gun safety education component,” RICAGV Executive Director Melissa Carden said in a press release. “This bill requires gun dealers to both post signs and give information to people who purchase guns about secure storage, suicide prevention, and Rhode Island’s gun safety laws, and it would require school districts to give information to students and their families.”
Frank Saccoccio, president of the RI Second Amendment Coalition, told 12 News that people who opposed the bill would be at the hearing.
According to Larry Berman, a spokesperson for the House, it’s likely that a floor vote would happen on Tuesday, May 28.
If these bills pass a full House floor vote, both go back to the Senate for final passage before heading to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk.
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