To amend sections 4501.11 and 5503.02 and to enact section 2923.26 of the Revised Code to enact the Keep Them Safe Act and to make an appropriation.
SB273, the Keep Them Safe Act, creates a new section of the Ohio Revised Code authorizing voluntary firearm storage with either a federally licensed firearms dealer or a law enforcement agency. A person who legally owns a firearm, or someone authorized by the owner, may enter into an application and agreement to store the firearm under the bill’s procedures. The measure defines key terms such as “legal cause,” “law enforcement agency,” and “political subdivision,” and it requires any storage arrangement to comply with applicable federal and state firearms laws.
The bill allows dealers and law enforcement agencies to set their own policies for accepting, storing, and returning firearms, but it prohibits them from returning a firearm if doing so would directly violate state or federal law. It also makes clear that no dealer or agency is required to accept a firearm for storage, and no one is required to provide this service free of charge. The bill further provides civil immunity for participating firearms dealers and for law enforcement agencies and political subdivisions, subject to existing governmental immunity rules, and it authorizes attorney’s fees and costs if a firearm is unlawfully withheld without legal cause. Information submitted in connection with storage agreements is made confidential and exempt from public records disclosure.
The bill’s main legal effect is to add a new statutory framework for temporary, voluntary firearm storage and to shield participating dealers and public agencies from liability arising from acceptance, storage, or return of firearms, except in cases of malicious conduct or unlawful withholding. It also reinforces compliance with federal firearms restrictions, including prohibitions on returning firearms to prohibited persons. The bill does not compel participation, but it creates a standardized option for safe storage and establishes confidentiality protections for applicants.
The available voting history suggests strong support, with the Senate passing the bill 33-0 and a favorable passage vote of 5-0. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded debate in the supplied materials. Based on the text and the unanimous votes, the general sentiment appears broadly favorable, likely reflecting bipartisan interest in voluntary safe-storage options and liability protections.
Any contention would likely center on the balance between public safety and firearms rights, particularly whether the bill sufficiently protects gun owners’ access to their property while also allowing dealers and law enforcement to refuse storage or return when legal restrictions apply. Another possible point of concern is the scope of immunity and the confidentiality provisions, though the bill’s unanimous Senate support suggests those issues did not generate significant opposition in the available record.
SB273 would enact new Ohio Revised Code section 2923.26 and create a voluntary firearm storage program for federally licensed firearms dealers and law enforcement agencies. It would also affect public-records treatment by making storage application information confidential and exempt from disclosure under section 149.43. In addition, it would expand civil immunity protections for participating private dealers and public entities, while preserving existing federal and state firearms restrictions and existing governmental immunity rules under Chapter 2744.
The bill appears to have been received positively in the Senate, where it passed unanimously and also received a unanimous favorable passage vote in committee. The available record shows no recorded opposition in the votes provided, suggesting broad bipartisan support for the concept of voluntary firearm storage and related liability protections. Because no committee transcript excerpts were supplied, there is no detailed debate to indicate significant controversy in the materials provided.
The most likely points of contention are the bill’s immunity provisions, the confidentiality of storage records, and the discretion given to dealers and law enforcement agencies to set policies or decline participation. Supporters would likely emphasize suicide prevention, domestic violence safety planning, and secure temporary storage for lawful gun owners, while critics might focus on property-rights concerns, the risk of denied returns when legal status is disputed, or the breadth of liability protection for participating entities. The supplied voting history, however, indicates these issues did not prevent unanimous Senate approval.