Michigan House Votes Overwhelmingly to Repeal Permit-to-Purchase and Registration
Yesterday, the Michigan House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to repeal the state handgun “permit-to-purchase” and registration requirements. House Bill 5225 passed in the state House by a 74 to 36 vote. HB 5225 would repeal the bureaucratic state “permit-to-purchase” handguns and instead utilize the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. House Bill 5498 and House Bill 5499 also passed in the state House along with HB 5225. These three bills now go to the state Senate where they will be assigned to the appropriate committees.
HB 5225, sponsored by state Representative Paul Opsommer (R-93), which became obsolete when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) took effect in 1998. Under the current state process, gun buyers must apply with their local law enforcement agency and pass a written test before being authorized to buy a handgun. This “permit” is valid for only one gun and it expires after ten days. Since 1998, federal law has required a national criminal records check for the purchase of any firearm, from any gun dealer, in every state.
Some of the key points of HB 5225 as amended are:
Repeal the state requirement to seek police permission to purchase a firearm by traveling to a local police station and obtaining a permit to purchase.
Repeal the requirement to register a completely legally purchased and owned firearm by a law-abiding citizen to be registered with the government through the police.
Adopt the use of the federally-funded National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Default to the federal standard of prohibited persons and each purchase would still require a background check.
Cut Michigan’s costs by using the federally-administered national instant background check system and eliminate wasted man-hours of tracking lawful gun owners in Michigan.
The NRA has been working diligently to repeal this antiquated, costly and unnecessary obstacle for gun owners and has coordinated with several state Representatives to produce the new language for HB 5225.
HB 5498, sponsored by state Representative Richard LeBlanc (D-18), provides for the legal penalties relating to firearms and other weapons. HB 5499, sponsored by state Representative Ray Franz (R-101), clarifies the regulations regarding the sale of firearms to “prohibited persons” and makes them consistent with federal standards.
Thank you to NRA members who contacted their state Representative in support of HB 5225. If your Representative voted in favor of the bill, please be sure to thank them for defending your rights. Please begin contacting you state Senator and urge him or her to support HB 5225. To find your state Senator’s contact information, please click here.
