SB 978 Firearm ownership, transfer, storage and use restrictions

This bill originally stated only the following:

Instructs the Oregon State Police to conduct a study on attempted unlawful firearm transfers and report findings and recommendations to legislative assembly.

However, SB 978 has been “Gut and Stuffed” by the Senate Judiciary Committee democrats with a 45-page amendment which:

MINIMUM AGE FOR FIREARM SALES – allowing an exemption to anti-discrimination law, allowing dealers to set a minimum age up to 21 for firearm and component sales.
FIREARM STORAGE – any firearm not carried or “under the control of” the owner/possessor must be locked. If unauthorized possession is gained due to failure to lock, owner can be liable for two years. Storage of firearms in foster homes may be “more stringent” but foster home certification may not be denied based on the ownership of firearms or possession of a CHL.
FIREARM TRANSFER – any firearm “transferred” must be locked per the specifications to be published by the OHA by Jan 1, 2020 (so will not exist when this bill goes into effect).
LOSS / THEFT REPORTING – loss or theft must be reported within 72 hours of when the owner knew or “should have known” about the loss/theft and be liable for damage caused for two years or until loss is reported.
ACCESS BY MINORS – liability if a minor under 18 gains unauthorized access. Requires dealers to post this requirement prominently.
UNDETECTABLE AND UNTRACEABLE FIREARMS – making unfinished or 3D printed firearm parts subject to transfer law and prohibited possessor laws.
PROHIBITED POSSESSION AND TRANSFER – two convictions for unlawful storage or unlawful transfer can make a person a prohibited possessor.
FIREARM INJURY REPORTING – hospitals must report firearms injuries to the OHA.
CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSE FEES – increase from $50 to $65, cost of FBI fingerprint check to be passed on separately.
LOCAL AUTHORITY TO REGULATE FIREARMS IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS – Will allow local governments, school districts or ports to prohibit carry in buildings and “adjacent grounds,” even by those with a CHL.
MUSEUM EXCEPTION FOR PRIVATE TRANSFER BACKGROUND CHECKS

And of course, “emergency is declared to exist, and this 2019 Act takes effect on its passage.”

Most of these concepts rightfully exist in separate bills which could have had separate hearings to take public input.  But instead they were all put into this “amendment” and citizens given only two minutes to testify on all concepts at once, in the farcical hearing held April 2 in which 12 of 37 signed up to testify in favor were allowed to do so but only 12 of 180 signed up to testify against were allowed by Chair Prozanski.