An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for sale or transfer of firearms.
Summary
HB483 amends Pennsylvania’s firearms transfer law to strengthen confidentiality protections for information collected from prospective firearm purchasers, transferees, and applicants for a license to carry a firearm. Under current law, that information is generally confidential and not subject to public disclosure; this bill narrows the disclosure language further by specifying that the information may not be disclosed to an individual or entity, except in a criminal prosecution involving an alleged violation of the firearms transfer provisions or a similar federal offense.
The bill also adds an explicit civil remedy for violations of the confidentiality requirement. Any person, licensed dealer, or state or local government agency or department that improperly discloses the protected information would be liable for $1,000 per occurrence or three times actual damages, whichever is greater, plus reasonable attorney fees. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
HB483 would amend Title 18, section 6111(i) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which governs confidentiality in firearm sales and transfers and related license-to-carry applications. The practical effect is to limit access to sensitive firearm purchaser and applicant information, while creating a specific damages remedy to deter unauthorized disclosure by private parties, licensed dealers, and government entities. It would not change the underlying licensing or transfer process, but it would increase legal exposure for confidentiality violations and likely reduce the availability of these records outside of criminal proceedings.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge sentiment directly. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to reflect a pro-privacy, pro-gun-rights approach to firearm records, emphasizing confidentiality and enforcement against disclosure. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials means the overall sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s protective framing.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely to be the balance between privacy and transparency. Supporters would likely favor shielding firearm purchaser and license information from disclosure to protect lawful gun owners and prevent misuse of records, while critics may argue that the bill further restricts public access to government-held information and could complicate oversight, records requests, or investigative journalism. Another possible issue is the broad liability provision, which applies to private dealers and government agencies alike and could be seen as creating significant penalties for inadvertent disclosure.
In firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for sale or transfer of firearms, for Pennsylvania State Police and for firearm sales surcharge.
In firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms and for sale or transfer of firearms and providing for Gun Violence Task Force in cities of the first class.
In firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for sale or transfer of firearms, for duties of the Pennsylvania State Police and for the offense of altering or obliterating marks of identification and providing for destruction of confiscated or recovered firearms.