State Senator McGarrigle, District Attorney Whelan Support Senate Bill 501 Which Would Require All Abusers Subject to Final Protective Orders to Turn in Their Guns
82 PERCENT OF PENNSYLVANIANS, INCLUDING 88 PERCENT OF GUN-OWNING HOUSEHOLDS, SUPPORT PROHIBITING ANYONE CONVICTED OF A MISDEMEANOR CRIME OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR SUBJECT TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTION ORDER FROM PURCHASING A GUN MEDIA, PA. – VOLUNTEERS WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA, PART OF EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY, STATE SENATOR TOM MCGARRIGLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT DOMESTIC ABUSE PROJECT OF DELAWARE COUNTY KATHY STONE, AND DELAWARE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JACK WHELAN, TODAY URGED PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATORS TO PASS SENATE BILL 501, LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD PROTECT PENNSYLVANIA FAMILIES BY REQUIRING ALL DOMESTIC ABUSERS SUBJECT TO FINAL PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDERS TO SURRENDER THEIR GUNS. THE BILL WOULD ALSO SHORTEN THE CURRENT 60-DAY PERIOD CONVICTED DOMESTIC ABUSERS HAVE TO SURRENDER THEIR GUNS TO 24 HOURS. ACCORDING TO THE PENNSYLVANIA COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, OVER THE LAST DECADE, FIREARMS HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN HALF OF ALL DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE-RELATED HOMICIDES IN THE STATE. AND RESEARCH FROM EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SHOWS THAT ONLY 14 PERCENT OF FINAL PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDERS ISSUED IN PENNSYLVANIA FROM 2011 THROUGH 2015 REQUIRED THAT FIREARMS BE TURNED IN.
An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms, providing for relinquishment of firearms and firearm licenses by convicted persons and further providing for firearms not to be carried without a license and for loans on, or lending or giving firearms prohibited; and, in protection from abuse, further providing for definitions, for commencement of proceedings, for hearings, for relief, for return of relinquished firearms, other weapons and ammunition and additional relief and for relinquishment for consignment sale, lawful transfer or safekeeping and repealing provisions relating to relinquishment to third party for safekeeping.
Prime Sponsor:
Republican (Term Expires: 2020) serving Chester (part) and Delaware (part) Counties.
Under current Pennsylvania law, people ordered to surrender guns can give them to a third-party for safekeeping and have 60 days to give them up, but backers of the proposal say the current law gives domestic abusers too much leeway and does not do enough to protect victims.
Republican State Sen. Tom McGarringle and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan stood with members of the gun control group and law enforcement officials to urge action on the bill, which has been waiting in the Senate Judiciary Committee since March.
