STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3045

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 9

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 9 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION OF HAWAII AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO OPPOSE "CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY" LEGISLATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the congressional delegation of Hawaii and United States Congress to oppose "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation that aims to:

(1) Remove state and local police power to set public safety standards for who may carry a concealed firearm in public; and

(2) Put local law enforcement at risk when encountering an armed out-of-state visitor who may be carrying a firearm with no permit, leaving police and sheriffs with no means to verify if a person is carrying a firearm lawfully.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Police Department of the City and County of Honolulu, Police Department of the County of Maui, Injury Prevention Advisory Committee, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and eight individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the National Rifle Association of America, 2A Hawaii, Hawaii Rifle Association, Institute for Rational and Evidence-based Legislation, Lessons in Firearms Education Hawaii, and ninety-seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that a permit authorizing the concealed carry of a loaded handgun is legal in all fifty states and that each state has its own standards of who may or may not carry a firearm in public. Your Committee notes that the State of Hawaii requires training for every concealed carry permit applicant and is able to deny applications based on any dangerous warning sign, such as a history of domestic disturbances or mental health concerns, while nineteen states do not require safety training and twenty-five states do not deny applications based on dangerous warning signs.

Your Committee further finds that "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation would allow individuals who have not been properly vetted to carry a concealed firearm in public. This legislation would take away the State's authority to set specific laws and circumvent already established laws that are tailored to the needs of the residents of Hawaii in creating safe communities. While your Committee recognizes the concerns of those who oppose gun regulation, your Committee strongly believes that maintaining the authority to establish gun laws at the state and local level will better ensure the safety of the public, which is the highest priority of your Committee.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 9 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair