In firearms and other dangerous articles, providing for safe storage of firearm when not in use; and imposing penalties.
Summary
SB 769 would add a new section to Pennsylvania’s Crimes and Offenses Code requiring firearm owners to secure guns when they are not in use. The bill specifies three acceptable methods of safe storage: using a trigger or similar locking device, using an integrated locking mechanism built into the firearm, or storing the firearm in a securely locked box/container or another location a reasonable person would consider secure. The requirement would not apply when a firearm is being carried on the person or kept within immediate reach for ready use.
The bill also creates penalties for failing to store a firearm as required. A first violation would be a summary offense with no jail time, a second or subsequent violation would be a third-degree misdemeanor, and a third-degree felony would apply if someone else takes the firearm and uses it in a crime or in an incident causing injury or death. The bill includes defenses for firearms secured in one of the approved ways, firearms taken during unlawful entry, injuries from hunting or target-shooting accidents, and possession connected to official military or law-enforcement duties.
Impact
SB 769 would amend Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new firearm-storage offense and penalty structure. It would impose a legal duty on firearm owners to use approved locking devices or secure storage when guns are not being carried, and it would create escalating criminal liability tied to repeat violations and to harm caused after unauthorized access to an unsecured firearm. The bill would affect firearm owners statewide, as well as law enforcement and prosecutors responsible for enforcing the new offense.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of committee testimony or recorded votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety proposal focused on preventing unauthorized access to firearms. The sponsor list suggests support from a bloc of senators aligned with gun-safety legislation, but there is no recorded debate or vote history here to show broader chamber sentiment. Overall, the bill reads as a proactive safe-storage measure rather than a procedural or technical change.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely to be the mandate itself: firearm owners and gun-rights advocates may view the bill as an intrusion into lawful possession and home storage decisions, while supporters are likely to emphasize preventing child access, theft, accidental shootings, and crimes involving unsecured guns. Another likely issue is the felony enhancement when an unsecured firearm is used by another person in a crime or injury event, which could raise concerns about criminalizing negligence and the scope of owner liability. The bill’s exceptions for carrying, unlawful entry, hunting accidents, and official duties suggest an effort to narrow those concerns, but no committee record is provided showing how those issues were debated.
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.
In firearms and other dangerous articles, providing for assault weapons and large capacity magazines and establishing the Firearms and Ammunition Buyback Program and the Pennsylvania State Police Buyback Fund; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania State Police; and imposing penalties.