The bill amends Section 11-47-35 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47, "Weapons," to update the regulations on the sale of firearms. It broadens the term from "pistol or revolver" to "firearm," which now includes rifles and shotguns, and introduces a seven-day waiting period from the application for purchase before a firearm can be delivered. The bill mandates that purchasers present a firearm safety certificate or a basic hunter safety course certificate, known as a "blue card," and removes the requirement to list the firearm's serial number on the application. It also requires the seller to forward the application to law enforcement for a background check, adding references to several sections of the law to ensure the purchaser is not disqualified from owning a firearm.
The bill eliminates the Department of Environmental Management's obligation to establish a basic pistol/revolver safety course and removes the fiscal cap for administering the safety course. Instead, the department's basic hunter safety course is deemed equivalent. The bill specifies that individuals must pass an objective test or the basic hunter safety course to obtain a firearm safety certificate, with exemptions for certain individuals like police and active military personnel. It repeals Section 11-47-35.2, which previously governed the sale of rifles and shotguns, and removes the detailed application process for these firearms, replacing it with the requirement to pass the basic firearm safety test. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.
Statutes affected: 7268: 11-47-35, 11-47-35.2