HB282--FIREARMS
SPONSOR: Schnelting
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
EmergingIssuesbyavoteof10to4.
Currently,itisacrimetoboardabuswithadangerousordeadly
weaponorcarrysuchaweaponinaterminal.
Thisbillallowsaconcealedcarrypermitholdertolawfullycarry
firearmsonpublictransportation, asdefinedinthebill.Anyone
withapermitmayalsocarryafirearmwhiletravelingbybus.
ThisbilldoesnotapplytopropertyofAmtrakoranypartnership
inwhichAmtrakengages.
Thisbillexpandsthelisteditemsthatsatisfytherequirement
thatanapplicantforaconcealedcarrypermitdemonstrate
knowledgeoffirearmssafetytrainingtoinclude,foractiveduty
militaryservicemembers,receiptofapistolmarksmanship
recognition.
Currently,anapplicantisnoteligibleforaconcealedcarry
permitoraMissourilifetimeorextendedconcealedcarrypermitif
theapplicanthaspledguiltyto,enteredapleaofnolo
contendere,orbeenconvictedofacrimepunishablebyimprisonment
ofatermexceedingoneyearorhaspledguiltytoorentereda
pleaofnolocontenderetooneormoremisdemeanoroffenses
involvingcrimesofviolencewithinafive-yearperiodimmediately
precedingapplicationforthepermit.Thisbillremovesthebanon
eligibilityforaconcealedcarrypermitoraMissourilifetimeor
extendedconcealedcarrypermitiftheapplicanthaspledguiltyto
orenteredapleaofnolocontendereofsuchcrimes.
Thisbillexpandsthelistofpersonsexemptedfromcertain
prohibitionsontheunlawfuluseofweaponsasprovidedforin
571.030,RSMo,tonowincludecertainretiredjudiciarymembersand
currentandformermembersoftheGeneralAssembly.
Thisbilllowerstheagerequirementfromatleast19to18years
ofageorolderforconcealedcarrypermits.
ThisbillissimilartoSCSHB1462(2022).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatviolentcrimesonpublic
transportation arecommonandarealthreattolaw-abiding
citizens,exponentiallyincreasinginrecentyears.Thisbill
promotesprotectionofvulnerablecitizens. Thoseinpossessionof
concealedcarrypermits(ccw)arenotathreat,butareinstead someofthemostresponsibleandlaw-abidingcitizens. Amajority
ofstatescurrentlyallowfortheconcealedcarryoffirearmson
publictransit. Thisbillallowspeopletoexerciseafundamental
rightandtoprotectthemselves,itdoesnotencourageany
particulartypeofbehavior. Currentlawprohibitingthecarrying
offirearmsonpublictransitdiscouragesmanypeopletousepublic
transit.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Schnelting;
NationalRifleAssociation;CorbettSova;MarkBuckner;Susan
Myers;WilliamWBland,WesternMissouriShootersAlliance;Jenni
Oliveira;CarlSmart,WesternMissouriShootersAlliance;Diana
Alfieri;HaroldCole;JerryRiggs;andVictorAlfieri.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatfirearmsonpublic
transitdonotmakepeoplesafer,nordotheymakepeoplefeel
safer.Thisbillencouragespeopletocarryfirearmsonpublic
transit,andintroducingmoreweaponsontopublictransitdoesnot
promotepublicsafety.Metroorganizationshavethesafetyof
passengersasahighestpriorityandarelargelyopposedto
legislationsuchasthis.Transitprovidersareresponsiveto
theirriders,andridershaveoverwhelmingexpressedtheydonot
wantmorefirearmsonpublictransit. Missourialreadyhasa
higherrateofviolencethanthenationalaverageforplacespeople
arealreadyallowedtocarryfirearms. Morefirearmsdonotresult
inpeoplebeingsafer;instead,itputsmorepeopleinharm'sway.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereCityUtilitiesof
Springfield;KansasCityAreaTransportation Authority;Gerald
Stegeman,CityofJefferson-Transit;KimberlyCella,Missouri
PublicTransitAssociation;KevinB.Scott,Bi-StateDevelopment
Agency;MoPublicTransitAssociation;GreaterSt.Louis,Inc.;
CityofKansasCity;andGreaterofKansasCityChamberof
Commerce.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.