The Senate heard SB 237 on handgun licensing, authored by Sen. Bray. The bill provides the following:
- increases the duration of a four-year handgun license to five years.
- requires a law enforcement officer to whom an application for a handgun license is made to determine the applicant’s: (1) country of citizenship; (2) place of birth; and (3) alien or admission number issued by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement or any successor agency as applicable; when evaluating a noncitizen’s application for a handgun license.
- requires a law enforcement officer to whom an application for a handgun license is made to consult available local, state, and federal criminal history data banks, including the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), when determining whether possession of a firearm by an applicant would be a violation of state or federal law.
The bill was amended by consent to remove provisions pertaining to qualified and unlimited licenses and to require the superintendent of the state police to conduct a national fingerprint-based criminal history check when investigating a person’s eligibility for a license to carry a handgun. The bill was supported by the National Rifle Association. The bill was opposed by the Marion County Prosecutor. The bill passed as amended, 7-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/senate/237