Legislation – 2023 Bills

2023 Gun Bills (updated March 4th)

There were a record TWENTY-FIVE gun bills in the 2023 session which ended March 3rd.
14 GOOD bills passed, 6 BAD bills were defeated.

Check the list below for final status.
Only ONE bill opposed by USSC was passed (and that was not a real bad bill.)
Only two bills supported by USSC failed to pass, and neither was a major issue.
USSC was neutral on three bills, two passed, and the other did not.

YOUR QUICK ACTION helped defeat the bad bills and helped the good bills pass.
THANK YOU!

Thank you especially for taking action on every USSC ACTION ALERT!
We don't ask you to speak out or show up at the Capitol unless it is really important.

USSC's Chairman, and Lobbyist, Clark Aposhian did a FANTASTIC job.
Please thank him next time you see him!
Also "remember in November" the legislators who supported gun rights, and those who did not.

BILL DETAILS- Click on the bill number in the first column for full text and status. This opens the official state page with full text of the bill.

Requires BCI to collect statistics on the source of firearms recovered from restricted persons.

Nice, but will local government bother to submit the info to BCI to compile the reports? Will prohibited persons in possession of firearms actually be prosecuted? Rep King's bill from a few years ago to collect data on domestic violence abusers who illegally tried to buy a gun has been a dismal failure, with only partial reports submitted, and a small percentage of people committing this easily proven crime have been charged or convicted.

Why pass more gun laws when the current ones are not being enforced?
2/2/2023- Passed by House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 10-0-3.
2/6/2023- Passed by House 64-4-7
2/13/2023 Passed by Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee 3-0-3
2/16/2023- Passed Senate 22-0-7 on 2nd reading
3/3/2023- Senate did not bring up for a final vote, so it is dead for this session.

This is not as bad as it was, but still is problematic with due process protections and property rights of community property.
If the person is truly a danger to self or others then the person should be held in mental health screening or jail until trial.
Merely taking guns away, and returning someone bent on violent behavior to a house full of knives, clubs, rope, gasoline and motor vehicles is bad. It's not the guns, (or knives, etc), it is the person wanting to commit violent acts which needs to be controlled.

1/30/2023- House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee voted to "Hold" the bill.

2/13/2023- passed by House Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Committee 9-1-3
2/16/2023 Passed by House 64-5-6
2/21/2023 Approved by Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee 3-0-3
2/24/2023- Passed by Senate 27-0-2
Awaiting signature by Governor Cox

"Declares that the state and its political subdivisions will not enforce federal laws that purport to restrict or ban certain firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories" with some specific exceptions such as the Brady background checks and a few other legitimate and useful programs.
This bill reflects the 1997 U.S. Supreme Court decision Printz v. U.S. which prohibits forcing state agencies, resources or employees to enforce federal gun laws. This bill applies to executive orders, rules and regulations, which are lesser categories than actual laws addressed by Printz.
2/2/2023- Passed by House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 8-2-3.
2/9/2023- Passed by House 60-13-2
2/28/2023- Passed by Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee 4-2-2
3/3/2023- passed by Senate 20-6-3 EVERY VOTE SUPPORTING GUN RIGHTS WAS FROM A REPUBLICAN< EVERY VOTE AGAINST WAS FROM A DEMOCRAT
Awaiting signature by Gov. Cox.

Support, but just barely. This started as an excellent goal of providing a way for a private seller to confirm a buyer is not a prohibited person, and also a way to confirm a gun is not reported as stolen.
But this has been amended to allow nothing more than a contact to BCI to confirm someone has a Concealed Firearm Permit. (Duh, the seller can show the buyer their CFP ID card issued by the state already!).
USSC would rather see this be a check with BCI to "confirm a buyer is not prohibited from purchase or possession of a firearm" using the same databases they use when a dealer calls in a "Brady check."
This bill also allows a check to see if a firearm with a specific serial number has been reported stolen.

1/25 passed by House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 12-0-1
2/1/2023 Passed House 70-0-5
2/9/2023 Passed by Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee 6-0-2
2/15/2023 Passed 2nd reading in Senate 24-0-5, but tabled for third reading.
3/1/2023- Amended and passed by Senate 21-0-8; House concurred with changes 69-0-6
Awaiting signature by Gov. Cox.

Revisions to the various juvenile justice issues.
This has a problematic section which bans minors (but not adults) from possession of a "Machinegun firearm attachment" means any part or combination of parts added to a semiautomatic firearm that allows the firearm to fire as a fully automatic weapon."
The BATF has ruled that a shoe string is a machine gun because it can be arranged to convert a semi-auto firearm to function as a machine gun.
This is apparently aimed at "Glock switches" which are already illegal under federal law for anyone to possess, so there is no need for Utah law to duplicate the BATF Technical Branch to address a non-problem. If a kid takes a Glock to school (with or without a "switch") they can and should be prosecuted under existing laws.

USSC recommends deleting this provisoin in the 3 places it appears in a 58 page bill.

2/2/2023- Passed by House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 10-0-3.
2/6/2023- passed by House 70-0-5
2/24/2023 Passed by Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee 4-1-1
3/2/2023- Passed Senate 27-0-2
Awaiting signature by Gov. Cox.

Another bad gun control scheme targeting gun owners, not criminals who misuse guns.
It require owners to keep all guns locked up.
If the gun is not locked up and then accessed or stolen the OWNER gets a $1,000 fine. If the thief uses the gun in a crime, the OWNER gets a $5,000 fine, plus a criminal charge one level below what the actual criminal might be charged with (not convicted of, but merely charged!)

No, thank you. Increase the penalty for theft of a firearm to a serious felony, and prosecute every single gun theft to the full extent of the law!
This is one of the popular schemes being pushed by Democrats in several states, and is totally unacceptable.

2/13/2023 Defeated by House Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Committee 3-7-3
Dead for this session. NOTE- Every vote for this bill was from a Democrat, every vote against was from a Republican.

Provides that a firearm seized at the airport must be returned to the owner if they can lawfully possess a firearm, instead of forfeiture.
2/22/2023 Passed by House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 5-3-5
2/24/2023- Passed by House 58-14-3
2/28/2023- Passed by Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee 3-2-3
3/2/2023- Passed Senate 19-5-5 EVERY VOTE SUPPORTING GUN RIGHTS WAS FROM A REPUBLICAN< EVERY VOTE AGAINST WAS FROM A DEMOCRAT
Awaiting signature by Gov. Cox

Waives fees at SOME publicly owned shooting ranges for military service members, veterans, first responders, and retired first responders
This is good, but does not go far enough. It really should include all Utah residents, or at least those with a Hunting license, or concealed firearms permit, not just military and first responders. Add law enforcement as well.
If we are serious about promoting firearms safety, access to shooting ranges is essential, and the taxpayers have paid for these facilities and should not be charged for their use.

2/27/2023- Passed by House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 7-0-6
2/27/2023- Passed House 71-0-4
3/2/2023- Not passed by end of 4th day, and had fiscal note over $10.000, so dead for the session.

NOTE- The sponsor of this bill made no effort tow work with USSC on this issue, and we could have improved this bill and provided valuable support if he had done so.

Anti- ESG (Environment, Social Governance) bill which includes restrictions on state business with companies which discriminate against firearms related businesses.

2/21/2023- Passed Senate 20-6-3 <strong>EVERY VOTE SUPPORTING GUN RIGHTS WAS FROM A REPUBLICAN< EVERY VOTE AGAINST WAS FROM A DEMOCRAT</strong>
2/28/2023- Passed House Business and Labor Committee 11-2-2
3/2/2023- Passed House 55-15-5
3/2/2023- Senate concurs with House amendment- 22-6-1 <strong>EVERY VOTE SUPPORTING GUN RIGHTS WAS FROM A REPUBLICAN< EVERY VOTE AGAINST WAS FROM A DEMOCRAT</strong>
Awaiting signature by Gov. Cox.

2023 Gun Bills (updated March 4th)

There were a record TWENTY-FIVE gun bills in the 2023 session which ended March 3rd.
14 GOOD bills passed, 6 BAD bills were defeated.

YOUR QUICK ACTION helped defeat the bad bills and helped the good bills pass.
THANK YOU!

Bill Number

Bill Title

Bill Sponsor

USSC Position

USSC Comments/ Status

76-10-522 provisions regarding altered serial numbers are UNCONSTITUTIONAL per U.S. District Court ruling, so this section should simply be REPEALED, not amended.

2/28/2023- Returned to Senate Rules committee without action
Dead for this session.

Anti- ESG (Environment, Social Governance) bill which includes restrictions on state business with companies which discriminate against firearms related businesses.

2023 Gun Bills (updated March 4th)

There were a record TWENTY-FIVE gun bills in the 2023 session which ended March 3rd. 14 GOOD bills passed, 6 BAD bills were defeated.

YOUR QUICK ACTION helped defeat the bad bills and helped the good bills pass. THANK YOU!

Bill Number

Bill Title

Bill Sponsor

USSC Position

USSC Comments/ Status

76-10-522 provisions regarding altered serial numbers are UNCONSTITUTIONAL per U.S. District Court ruling, so this section should simply be REPEALED, not amended.

2/28/2023- Returned to Senate Rules committee without action Dead for this session.

Anti- ESG (Environment, Social Governance) bill which includes restrictions on state business with companies which discriminate against firearms related businesses.

There were a record TWENTY-FIVE gun bills in the 2023 session which ended March 3rd.
14 GOOD bills passed, 6 BAD bills were defeated.

YOUR QUICK ACTION helped defeat the bad bills and helped the good bills pass.
THANK YOU!

2/28/2023- Returned to Senate Rules committee without action
Dead for this session.