An act relating to reinstating the waiting period exemption for firearms transfers at gun shows
H.150 would amend Vermont’s firearms waiting-period law to restore an exemption for firearm transfers that occur at gun shows. Under current law, a firearm transfer generally cannot occur until 72 hours after the licensed dealer receives a unique NICS identification number, or seven business days after the background check is initiated, whichever comes first. The bill would add a new subsection stating that this waiting-period requirement does not apply to firearm transfers at a gun show.
The bill also defines “gun show” broadly to include events sponsored by firearms-related organizations devoted to the collection, competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms. The measure would take effect immediately upon passage and would leave the rest of the waiting-period statute intact, including the criminal penalty for unlawful transfers and existing exceptions for transfers that do not require a background check and for certain returns of serialized firearms, frames, or receivers to the same person.
If enacted, H.150 would narrow the scope of Vermont’s 72-hour firearms waiting-period law by exempting gun show transfers from the delay requirement. That would change 13 V.S.A. § 4019a by reinstating a category of transfers that can proceed without waiting for the statutory time period to expire, while preserving the underlying background-check framework and penalties for violations in other contexts. The practical effect would be on firearm dealers, gun show vendors, and purchasers who buy firearms at qualifying gun show events.
Based on the bill’s introduction and sponsorship, the measure appears to have support from legislators favoring a return to the prior gun show exemption and a more permissive approach to firearm transfers at those events. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote history to indicate broader legislative sentiment. The bill text itself suggests a straightforward policy reversal rather than a comprehensive rewrite of Vermont firearms law.
The central point of contention is the policy choice to exempt gun show transfers from the waiting period. Supporters are likely to argue that gun show transactions should be treated like other lawful firearm transfers and that the exemption restores a previously existing rule. Opponents would likely view the exemption as weakening a public-safety safeguard by allowing immediate transfers at venues where firearms are commonly bought and sold. Because no hearing transcript is available, the specific arguments of committee members or stakeholders are not documented in the provided materials.