STAND. COM. REP. NO. 553

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 363

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 363 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the carrying or possessing of firearm parts only at or between certain locations and in an enclosed container;

(2) Define firearm parts and prohibited persons; and

(3) Establish and increase penalties for the carrying or possessing of certain firearms or firearm parts other than at or between specific locations and in an enclosed container.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement, Honolulu Police Department, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Public Defender, Libertarian Party of Hawaii, Puʻuloa Rifle and Pistol Club, Hawaii Rifle Association, SDM Training Group, Bows N Bullets, Young Guns, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds it is critical that the State hold individuals accountable for illegally possessing firearms in public. Your Committee notes the testimony provided by the Honolulu Police Department at the public hearing held on this measure stating that the number of ghost gun-related cases has risen sharply in one year with a two hundred twenty percent increase. From January 1 through October 14, 2023, the Honolulu Police Department initiated thirty-one ghost gun-related cases and from January 1 through October 14, 2024, the Honolulu Police Department initiated sixty-eight ghost gun-related cases. This measure will address this issue by restricting and penalizing the possession of certain firearms or firearm parts and clarifying the conditions under which certain firearms or firearms parts must be transported.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing legislative findings;

(2) Removing language that would have established that a person carrying or possessing three or more firearm parts would be guilty of a misdemeanor;

(3) Clarifying the definition of "firearm parts"; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 363, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 363, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________

BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair