An Act to create 175.36 of the statutes; Relating to: storage of firearms in retail facility when unattended.
Summary
AB951 would create a new section of Wisconsin statutes requiring any retail business that sells or transfers firearms to secure all firearms whenever the business is unattended. The bill specifies several approved storage methods, including locked fireproof safes, locked steel gun cabinets or vaults, reinforced display cases, hardened steel rods or cables through the trigger guard, windowless secured rooms with steel doors, or steel roll-down doors/security gates. For certain street-level stores, the bill also adds physical security requirements such as bollards or similar barriers, or locking steel roll-down doors on perimeter openings unless prohibited by fire code.
The bill is aimed at reducing theft and unauthorized access to firearms from retail locations after hours. It would impose detailed facility-security standards on firearm retailers and transfers, effectively creating a statewide minimum storage requirement for unattended gun inventory. Because the bill is drafted as a new statutory section, it would add a specific compliance obligation to retail firearm businesses and could affect store design, security investments, and operational practices across the state.
Impact
AB951 would add section 175.36 to the Wisconsin statutes and establish mandatory firearm-storage rules for retail sellers and transferors when their premises are unattended. It would directly regulate firearm retailers by requiring secure storage methods and, in some cases, additional exterior protections for street-level locations. The bill would not broadly regulate private gun ownership, but it would create enforceable standards for business premises, potentially affecting retail compliance costs, security infrastructure, and local code interactions where fire-code conflicts arise.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote breakdown, so there is no detailed public discussion to gauge support or opposition. The bill’s introduction by a bipartisan group of Assembly and Senate cosponsors suggests at least some cross-party interest in the measure, but its eventual failure to pass indicates it did not secure final legislative approval. Overall, the bill appears to have been framed as a public-safety and theft-prevention measure rather than a broader gun-control proposal.
Contention
The main points of contention likely center on the burden placed on firearm retailers, the cost and practicality of the required security upgrades, and whether the mandated methods are too prescriptive for different store layouts. Another likely issue is the interaction with state and local fire codes, since some required security features are exempted if they would violate those codes. Supporters would likely emphasize theft prevention and safer storage of retail firearms, while opponents would likely focus on regulatory cost, operational flexibility, and the possibility that the requirements could be difficult for smaller businesses to meet.