The Senate Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy heard HB 1651 concerning judicial evaluation of dangerous individuals and firearms. The bill provides that a dangerous person is not a proper person for the purpose of applying for or receiving a license to carry a handgun. The bill further provides that a dangerous person who knowingly or intentionally rents, purchases, receives transfer of, owns, or possesses a firearm commits dangerous possession of a firearm, a Class A misdemeanor. A person who knowing or intentionally rents, transfers, sells or offers for sale a firearm to a dangerous person commits dangerous transfer of a firearm, a Level 5 felony. The bill makes further provisions regarding the law enforcement and court process for seizing and retaining firearms for individuals determined to be dangerous, including transmitting the order to the office of judicial administration for transmission to NICS.
In addition, the bill provides minimum ages by which a person may seek expungement of records of a person adjudicated a delinquent child for committing an act while armed with a firearm that would be a serious violent felony if committed by adults. The bill permits a person who may legally possess a firearm to possess a firearm on school property if the person possesses the firearm as an employee or volunteer of a house of worship located on school property or while attending a worship service or religious ceremony conducted at a house of worship. The bill also increases the duration of a four-year handgun license to five years and requires a law enforcement officer to consult state and federal criminal history banks, including NICS, before issuing a handgun license.
Two amendments were taken by the consent of the committee: an amendment to correct technical errors, and an amendment to modify the fees for five-year handgun licenses to begin July 1, 2021 instead of July 1, 2019. The bill passed committee 8-2.
Read the bill at: http://www.iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/house/1651