SB 348 : Modified Measure 114 (Was DOJ Study of Unlawful Possession of Firearms)

Position: Support Status: Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Capital Construction

SB 348 will not move forward in the 2023 session. The bill is not necessary to fund or implement Measure 114 which is already the law in Oregon but is waiting for a court stay to be lifted for implementation.

Update

June 15, 2023

5-31 (S) Work Session scheduled. WORK SESSION CANCELED.
5-24 (S) Assigned to Subcommittee On Public Safety
4-14 (S) Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng). Requesting referral to Ways and Means.
4-4 (S) Work Session held.
3-30 (S) Work Session scheduled 1:00 PM
3-27 (S) Public Hearing Scheduled 5:00 PM, HR A
3-27 (S) Senate Committee On Judiciary Informational Meeting, 1:00 PM HR D
1-9 (S) Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk
1-12 (S) Referred to Judiciary

May 31 WORK SESSION CANCELED

SB 348-1 does NOT repeal Measure 114. Parts of the amendment strengthen Measure 114 but other parts greatly weaken it.

What are problems with SB 348-1?

• SB 348-1 allows anyone–including 18 to 20 year olds–to buy a hunting rifle without a permit through July 1, 2026.
  • A 2020 study published in Injury Epidemiology of suicide in Maryland found that rural teens and children were three times as likely to use a rifle for firearm suicide as adults. According to the study. in “rural counties, [where] 51.6% of firearm suicides were by long gun, compared to 16.8% in the most urban counties.”
  • Availability of only hunting rifles will not stop domestic abusers from intimidating, injuring, and fatally shooting intimate partners who are disproportionately female.
  • A permit is needed to prevent known abusers from accessing guns.
• SB 348-1 needlessly delays implementation of the permit process until July 1, 2024. Studies clearly indicate that permits reduce gun-related crime and prevent the flow of firearms into the illegal market.
• SB 348-1 changes the language that allows a permit agent to determine if an applicant is a danger to self or others. The permit agent must be required to perform a reasonable, relevant investigation.
• SB 348-1 allows active and retired law enforcement and military members to purchase firearms for personal use without a permit.
  • Police and military members are still required to obtain a driver’s license for personal driving and they are required to register to vote.
  • No one should be allowed special privileges to buy a personal firearm.
  • This carve out will disproportionately benefit gun-owning males and the hunting business while disregarding the increased risk of intimate partner violence and suicide.
    • The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that only 16% of hunters are female.
    • Women are only about 12% of sworn law enforcement officers in Oregon.
    • Women make up only about 17% of the United States armed forces.

What does Ceasefire Oregon support in SB 348-1?

• SB 348-1 ensures that personal information on permit applications or on permits are confidential and not part of the public record. Confidentiality has always been a priority for LEVO and Ceasefire Oregon. The new language will reassure people of confidentiality.
• SB 348-1 gives the FBI the ability to provide fingerprint information to a permit agent.
• SB 348-1 ensures equitable administration of permits by requiring race and gender statistics in the annual report to the legislature.
• SB 348-1 requires a 72-hour waiting period after passing a firearm background check to take possession of the firearm. This waiting period will reduce suicides. It was not part of Measure 114 but was added in by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• SB 348-1 extends the permit processing time from 30 days to 60 days.