EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0773*
SENATE BILL 773
E4 2lr1916
By: Senator Carter
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Safety – Firearms Dealers – Storage Vaults for Regulated Firearms 2
FOR the purpose of requiring an applicant for a regulated firearms dealer’s license to 3
provide evidence satisfactory to the Secretary of State Police that the applicant’s 4
proposed place of business has a certain vault to store all regulated firearms to be 5
offered for sale; requiring a licensee to store all regulated firearms for sale in a 6
certain vault when the licensee’s place of business is closed; requiring a certain 7
licensee to comply with the storage requirement on or before a certain date; and 8
generally relating to regulated firearms dealers and regulated firearms. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Public Safety 11
Section 5–110.1 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Public Safety 16
Section 5–114 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Public Safety 22
5–110.1. 23
2 SENATE BILL 773
(A) BEFORE THE SECRETARY ISSUES A DEAL ER’S LICENSE TO AN 1
APPLICANT, THE APPLICANT SHALL PROVIDE EVIDENCE SAT ISFACTORY TO THE 2
SECRETARY THAT THE AP PLICANT’S PROPOSED PLACE OF BUSINESS HAS A VAULT 3
THAT IS SECURED TO T HE FLOOR AND THAT CA N HOLD ALL OF THE RE GULATED 4
FIREARMS TO BE OFFERED FOR SALE . 5
(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 6
WHEN A LICENSEE ’S PLACE OF BUSINESS IS CLOSED, THE LICENSEE SHALL S TORE 7
ALL REGULATED FIREAR MS FOR SALE IN A VAU LT DESCRIBED IN SUBS ECTION (A) OF 8
THIS SECTION. 9
(2) A PERSON WHO HOLDS A D EALER’S LICENSE ON OR BEFO RE 10
OCTOBER 1, 2022, SHALL COMPLY WITH TH IS SUBSECTION ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 11
2023. 12
5–114. 13
(a) (1) The Secretary shall suspend a dealer’s license if the licensee: 14
(i) is under indictment for a crime of violence; or 15
(ii) is arrested for a violation of this subtitle that prohibits the 16
purchase or possession of a regulated firearm. 17
(2) (i) The Secretary may suspend a dealer’s license if the licensee is 18
not in compliance with the record keeping and reporting requirements of § 5–145 of this 19
subtitle. 20
(ii) The Secretary may lift a suspension under this paragraph after 21
the licensee provides evidence that the record keeping violation has been corrected. 22
(b) The Secretary shall revoke a dealer’s license if: 23
(1) it is discovered that false information has been supplied or false 24
statements have been made in an application required by this subtitle; or 25
(2) the licensee: 26
(i) is convicted of a disqualifying crime; 27
(ii) is convicted of a violation classified as a common law crime and 28
receives a term of imprisonment of more than 2 years; 29
(iii) is a fugitive from justice; 30
(iv) is a habitual drunkard; 31 SENATE BILL 773 3
(v) is addicted to a controlled dangerous substance or is a habitual 1
user; 2
(vi) has spent more than 30 consecutive days in a medical institution 3
for treatment of a mental disorder, unless the licensee produces a physician’s certificate, 4
issued after the last institutionalization and certifying that the licensee is capable of 5
possessing a regulated firearm without undue danger to the licensee or to another; 6
(vii) has knowingly or willfully manufactured, offered to sell, or sold 7
a handgun not on the handgun roster in violation of § 5–406 of this title; or 8
(viii) has knowingly or willfully participated in a straw purchase of a 9
regulated firearm. 10
(C) THE SECRETARY MAY DENY A DEALER’S LICENSE TO AN APPL ICANT OR 11
SUSPEND OR REVOKE A DEALER’S LICENSE IF THE APP LICANT OR LICENSEE FAILS 12
TO COMPLY WITH § 5–110.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 13
[(c)] (D) If the Secretary suspends or revokes a dealer’s license, the Secretary 14
shall notify the licensee in writing of the suspension or revocation. 15
[(d)] (E) A person whose dealer’s license is suspended or revoked may not engage 16
in the business of selling, renting, or transferring regulated firearms, unless the suspension 17
or revocation has been subsequently withdrawn by the Secretary or overruled by a court in 18
accordance with § 5–116 of this subtitle. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act sh all take effect 20
October 1, 2022. 21