Pa. Senate OKs bill to toughen gun laws in domestic abuse cases
FILE PHOTO: An unidentified man and woman leave flowers in front of the Emporium at Mt. Gretna hours after the owner, Stacey Pennington, was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend, Patrick Derr, who then turned the gun on himself. Derr was on life support, according to police. Cornwall Borough Police, Lebanon County Detectives and the Lebanon County District Attorney’s office investigated a murder-attempted suicide outside of the Jigger Shop in Mt. Gretna Borough on Monday, September 7, 2015. (Jeremy Long/Lebanon Daily News)
(Harrisburg) — The state Senate is giving its unanimous approval to a proposal to force people with a domestic violence ruling against them to more quickly give up their firearms.
The Senate’s 50-0 vote today sends the measure to the House.
Under the bill, people convicted of a domestic violence crime would have 48 hours to give up their firearms to a law enforcement agency, a federally licensed firearms dealer or their lawyer.
As the current law stands, people convicted of domestic violence have 60 days and can give their guns to a relative, friend or neighbor.
In addition, defendants in final protection-from-abuse cases would have to hand over their guns in 24 hours. Current law leaves forfeiture to a judge’s discretion.
Failing to hand over a firearm would be a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in prison.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
