Senate Bill 401 would ban the sale or import of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns with with magazines larger than ten rounds, or includes “military-style” features like threaded barrels, bayonet mounts, or folding stocks.
The proposed bill is modeled after the 1994 federal “Assault Weapons” Ban and will will “fill the gap” that the previous gun ban the Hawaii Legislature passed in 1992 — known as the “Assault Pistol” Ban.
Introduced in January, the original bill was a ban on .50 caliber rifles.
Since then, the bill has been gutted and replaced with language from failed House Bill 893, and would ban:
- .50 caliber rifles;
- All semi-automatic rifles with a detachable magazine;
- “Assault shotguns,” which includes any semi-automatic shotgun capable of holding more than five shells; and
- Any firearm, including handguns, with magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds.
Anyone who violates this law would be subject to at most five years in prison.
Last minute changes included a grandfather clause for rifles that are currently legally registered and would allow those rifles to be passed down to other family members of the registered owner.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green (D) has signaled he would sign the legislation if it reached his desk.
HB 401 passed it’s last committee on a party-line vote of 6-1 and now heads to the Senate floor for approval.
Read more at Hawaii News Now.
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