2. Of this year’s raft of gun rights/gun-control bills, this one is the most significant:

• H6017: Changes concealed carry permitting authority for the RI Attorney General from a “may issue” basis, to a “shall issue” basis, provided that the permit applicant passes a background check, and meets all criteria laid out in a detailed application specified in the law. (H Judiciary; Wed, Apr 15)

The other bills being heard are:

• H5872: Extends the ban on individuals convicted of committing crimes of violence “purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in his or her possession any firearm” to individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. (H Judiciary; Tue, Apr 14)
• H5655: Extends the ban on individuals convicted of committing crimes of violence “purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in his or her possession any firearm” to individuals convicted of “misdemeanors that involve the use or attempted use of force, or the threatened use of a firearm, against a family or household member” as defined under domestic violence law, and to those under  certain restraining orders.  (H Judiciary; Tue, Apr 14)
• H5119: Two seemingly unrelated provisions: 1) An extension of the ban on convicted of committing crimes of violence “purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or having in his or her possession any firearm” to individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence charges, and 2) a ban on anyone carrying “a rifle or shotgun in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his or her person whether visible or concealed, except in his or her dwelling house or place of business or on land possessed by him or her” with exceptions for hunting and target shooting. (H Judiciary; Tue, Apr 14) The second part would almost certainly be challenged as running afoul of the Federally protected right to bear arms.
• H5123: Requires that a minor be in the presence of parent, guardian or supervising adult, in order to possess a firearm (a directly reading of the current law only requires an adult be present if a firearm is possessed and used). (H Judiciary; Tue, Apr 14)
• H5190: Provides for automatic renewal (subject to a criminal background check) of concealed carry firearms permits. (H Judiciary; Wed, Apr 15)
• H5368: Mandates that all records of applications to purchase rifles and shotguns be destroyed by 30 days after the date of the application, if the buyer passes the background check (present law only says that duplicate and triplicate copies need to be destroyed). (H Judiciary; Wed, Apr 15)
• H5868: Rewrites the section of the law on possession of firearms by a minor. (H Judiciary; Wed, Apr 15)