LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL H.B. 143
6 Approved for Filing: J. Rogers 6 st
1 Sub. (Buff)
6 02-08-24 8:59 AM 6
Representative Doug Owens proposes the following substitute bill:
1 SHOOTING RANGE REQUIREMENTS
2 2024 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Doug Owens
5 Senate Sponsor: Don L. Ipson
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill modifies provisions relating to shooting ranges.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 < defines terms;
13 < waives fees at certain public shooting ranges for military service members, veterans,
14 peace officers and retired peace officers, and firefighters and retired firefighters;
15 < exempts Department of Public Safety shooting ranges from certain requirements;
16 and
17 < makes technical and conforming changes.
18 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19 None
20 Other Special Clauses: 1 stSub. H.B. 143
21 None
22 Utah Code Sections Affected:
23 AMENDS:
24 47-3-304, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 155
25 47-3-305, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2021, Chapter 246
*HB0143S01*
1st Sub. (Buff) H.B. 143 02-08-24 8:59 AM
26
27 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28 Section 1. Section 47-3-304 is amended to read:
29 47-3-304. Fees.
30 (1) As used in this section:
31 (a) "Firefighter" means the same as that term is defined in Section 34A-3-113.
32 (b) "Military service member" means the same as that term is defined in Section
33 53B-8-102.
34 (c) "Peace officer" means an officer described in Section 53-13-102.
35 (d) "Retired firefighter" means a firefighter who has become eligible, applies for, and
36 may receive an allowance under Title 49, Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act.
37 (e) "Retired peace officer" means a peace officer who has become eligible, applies for,
38 and may receive an allowance under Title 49, Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act.
39 (f) "Veteran" means the same as that term is defined in Section 68-3-12.5.
40 (2) Reasonable fees for the use of a shooting range to cover the incidental material and
41 supply costs incurred by making the range available to a group, may be established by:
42 (a) the State Armory Board established under Title 39A, Chapter 2, State Armory
43 Board, for a military range; and
44 (b) for a nonmilitary range, the state agency, institution of higher education, or political
45 subdivision that operates or has control of the range.
46 [(2)] (3) Fees for nonmilitary shooting range use may not exceed fees charged by the
47 Department of Natural Resources for the same or similar activity.
48 (4) (a) Fees established under Subsection (2) are waived for firefighters, military
49 service members, peace officers, retired firefighters, retired peace officers, and veterans at
50 state-owned public shooting ranges.
51 (b) Notwithstanding Subsection 47-3-305(1)(b), fees are waived for firefighters,
52 military service members, peace officers, retired firefighters, retired peace officers, and
53 veterans at shooting ranges that are operated as a public shooting range staffed and operated by
54 the Division of Wildlife Resources.
55 (c) Waived fees under this Subsection (4) do not include materials such as clay pigeons
56 or special targets.
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02-08-24 8:59 AM 1st Sub. (Buff) H.B. 143
57 [(3)] (5) Fees collected under Subsection [(1)] (2) shall be:
58 (a) for a shooting range operated or controlled by a state agency or an institution of
59 higher education, deposited [in] into the General Fund as dedicated credits to be used for the
60 operation and maintenance of the range; and
61 (b) for a shooting range operated or controlled by a political subdivision, deposited in
62 the political subdivision's general fund.
63 Section 2. Section 47-3-305 is amended to read:
64 47-3-305. Exceptions and prohibitions.
65 (1) This part does not apply to:
66 (a) shooting ranges that are otherwise open to the public;
67 (b) shooting ranges that are operated as a public shooting range staffed by and operated
68 by Division of Wildlife Resources;
69 (c) the Utah National Guard ranges located at Camp Williams and the Salt Lake
70 International Airport;
71 (d) Department of Corrections ranges;
72 (e) Department of Public Safety ranges; and
73 [(e)] (f) ranges owned, operated, or currently leased as of March 26, 2013, by a state or
74 local public safety agency.
75 (2) (a) Firearms may not be allowed in a school building, except under the provision of
76 Section 76-10-505.5, unless there is an outdoor entrance to the shooting range and the most
77 direct access to the range is used.
78 (b) An outdoor entrance to a shooting range may not be blocked by fences, structures,
79 or gates for the purpose of blocking the outdoor entrance.
80 (3) (a) Only air guns may be used in public ranges [where] in which the ventilation
81 systems do not meet current OSHA standards as applied to the duration of exposure of the
82 participants.
83 (b) For the purposes of this part, an air gun does not include a larger caliber pneumatic
84 [weapons] weapon, paintball [guns] gun, or air [shotguns] shotgun.
85 (4) Group range use is a lawful, approved activity under Subsection 76-10-505.5(4)(a).
86 Section 3. Effective date.
87 This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.
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Statutes affected: Introduced: 47-3-304, 47-3-305
H.B. 143 1st Substitute (Not Adopted) Text: 47-3-304, 47-3-305