Ige signs three gun-control measures

Gov. David Ige signed three firearms-related bills into law Thursday.

Senate Bill 2954 authorizes county police departments to enroll firearms applicants and individuals registering their firearms in a criminal record monitoring service.

The system, also known as the “Rap Back” system, is a service of the FBI that provides continuous criminal record monitoring for authorized government agencies such as law enforcement agencies. The service notifies the agencies when a firearm owner is arrested for a criminal offense anywhere in the country. This will allow county police departments in Hawaii to evaluate whether the firearm owner can continue to legally possess and own firearms. The law also authorizes the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to access firearm registration data.

House Bill 625 specifies that harassment by stalking and sexual assault are among the offenses that disqualify a person from owning, possessing or controlling any firearm or ammunition.

And House Bill 2632 requires firearms owners to surrender their firearms and ammunition to the chief of police if they are disqualified from owning a firearm and ammunition for diagnoses of significant behavioral, emotional or mental disorder, or emergency or involuntary hospitalization to a psychiatric facility. This measure authorizes police to seize firearms and ammunition if a disqualified firearms owner fails to surrender them after receiving written notice.