House File 2439 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2439
BY MADISON
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to trigger locks for firearms, including the
2 establishment of a public safety trigger lock fund and
3 requiring trigger locks on certain firearms, and providing
4 penalties.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 80.49 Public safety trigger lock
2 fund.
3 1. A public safety trigger lock fund is established in
4 the state treasury under the control of the department. The
5 department may receive and accept donations, grants, loans, and
6 contributions from any public or private source for deposit
7 into the fund. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the
8 department for the purposes set forth in subsection 2.
9 2. The department shall establish a trigger lock program
10 in the state for the purpose of providing free trigger locks
11 to firearms owners. The department shall work with law
12 enforcement agencies of the state, local governments, and other
13 local entities and nonprofit organizations to provide trigger
14 locks at no cost to firearms owners in the state.
15 3. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund
16 that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of a
17 fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for
18 expenditure for the purposes designated. Notwithstanding
19 section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in
20 the fund shall be credited to the fund.
21 Sec. 2. Section 724.22, subsection 7, Code 2024, is amended
22 to read as follows:
23 7. It shall be unlawful for any person to A person shall
24 not store or leave a loaded or unloaded firearm which that is
25 not secured by a trigger lock mechanism, placed in a securely
26 locked box or container, or placed in some other location which
27 that a reasonable person would believe to be secure from a
28 minor under the age of fourteen eighteen years, if such person
29 knows or has reason to believe that a minor under the age
30 of fourteen eighteen years is likely to gain access to the
31 firearm without the lawful permission of the minor’s parent,
32 guardian, or person having charge of the minor, and the minor
33 lawfully gains access to the firearm without the consent of
34 the minor’s parent, guardian, or person having charge of the
35 minor, and the minor exhibits the firearm in a public place in
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1 an unlawful manner, or uses the firearm unlawfully to cause
2 injury or death to a person. This subsection does not apply if
3 the minor obtains the firearm as a result of an unlawful entry
4 by any person. A violation of this subsection is punishable as
5 a serious misdemeanor.
6 EXPLANATION
7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
8 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
9 This bill relates to trigger locks for firearms, including
10 the establishment of a public safety trigger lock fund and
11 requiring trigger locks on certain firearms.
12 The bill establishes a public safety trigger lock fund
13 in the state treasury under the control of the department of
14 public safety (department). The department may receive and
15 accept donations, grants, loans, and contributions from any
16 public or private source for deposit into the trust fund for
17 the purpose of providing free trigger locks to firearms owners.
18 The department shall work with law enforcement agencies of
19 the state, local governments, and other local entities and
20 nonprofit organizations to provide trigger locks at no cost to
21 firearms owners in the state.
22 Current law prohibits any person from storing or leaving
23 a loaded firearm which is not secured by a trigger lock
24 mechanism, placed in a securely locked box or container, or
25 placed in some other location which a reasonable person would
26 believe to be secure from a minor under the age of 14 years, if
27 such person knows or has reason to believe that a minor under
28 the age of 14 years is likely to gain access to the firearm, the
29 minor lawfully gains access to the firearm without the consent
30 of the minor’s parent, guardian, or person having charge of the
31 minor, and the minor exhibits the firearm in a public place in
32 an unlawful manner, or uses the firearm unlawfully to cause
33 injury or death to a person.
34 The bill prohibits any person from storing or leaving a
35 loaded or unloaded firearm that is not secured by a trigger
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1 lock mechanism, placed in a securely locked box or container,
2 or placed in some other location that a reasonable person would
3 believe to be secure from a minor under the age of 18 years, if
4 such person knows or has reason to believe that a minor under
5 the age of 18 years is likely to gain access to the firearm
6 without the lawful permission of the minor’s parent, guardian,
7 or person having charge of the minor, and the minor lawfully
8 gains access to the firearm without the consent of the minor’s
9 parent, guardian, or person having charge of the minor.
10 A violation of the bill is punishable as a serious
11 misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by
12 confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least
13 $430 but not more than $2,560.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8.33