In firearms and other dangerous articles, providing for safe storage of firearm when residing with a person not to possess a firearm; and imposing penalties.
Summary
SB 768 would add a new section to Pennsylvania’s Crimes and Offenses Code requiring firearm owners who live with someone prohibited from possessing a firearm to store the firearm in a safer manner. The bill specifies three compliant storage options: using a trigger or similar locking device, using an integrated locking mechanism, or placing the firearm in a securely locked box, container, or other reasonably secure location. The bill also creates an exception for firearms that are carried on the person or kept within immediate reach as if carried on the body.
The measure establishes penalties for failing to secure a firearm under these circumstances. A first violation would be a summary offense with no jail term, a second or later violation would be a third-degree misdemeanor, and a third-degree felony could apply if the prohibited person gains possession of the firearm and it is then used in a crime or in an incident causing injury or death. The bill also provides defenses, including lawful secure storage, unlawful entry, accidents during target shooting or hunting, and possession connected to official military or law-enforcement duties.
Impact
SB 768 would amend Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by creating a new firearm-storage offense tied specifically to households where a resident is legally barred from possessing firearms. It would impose a new legal duty on gun owners in those homes to use approved locking or storage methods, and it would add criminal penalties for noncompliance, ranging from a summary offense to a third-degree felony in aggravated circumstances. The bill would affect firearm owners, household members prohibited from firearm possession, and potentially law enforcement and prosecutors responsible for enforcing the new storage requirements.
Sentiment
Based on the bill’s sponsorship and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the available context suggests the measure is being advanced as a gun-safety and harm-prevention proposal. The bill’s structure indicates a focus on preventing access by prohibited persons while preserving ordinary lawful carry and official-duty exceptions. Because there are no transcripts or vote records here, no formal bipartisan or committee sentiment can be measured from the record provided.
Contention
The main points of contention likely concern firearm regulation, household privacy, and criminal liability for storage choices. Supporters would likely view the bill as a targeted safe-storage measure intended to reduce unauthorized access and firearm-related harm in homes with prohibited persons. Opponents may object to the new criminal penalties, the burden placed on lawful gun owners, and the possibility that a storage lapse could escalate to felony exposure if a prohibited person later uses the firearm in a crime or injury-causing event. The bill’s exceptions for carry, accidents, unlawful entry, and official duties appear designed to narrow those concerns, but the underlying regulation of storage remains the central issue.
In firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for definitions and providing for the offense of sale of firearm or firearm parts without serial numbers and for privately made firearms.