Gov. Josh Green on Friday used the occasion of National Gun Violence Awareness day to sign a pair of firearms-related bills into law.
Senate Bill 1230 became Act 52. The law requires applicants for concealed carry firearms permits to undergo approved training, defines “sensitive places” where licensees aren’t allowed to carry weapons, and specifies that licensees can’t legally carry a weapon while consuming alcohol or other intoxicants.
And House Bill 1329 became Act 53. It requires public and charter schools to work with public employee unions to develop and implement active-shooter training programs.
“This is a crisis,” Green said at a bill-signing ceremony at the state capitol in Honolulu. “This is a public health crisis in our country. On average, there are 11.9 gun deaths per 100,000 residents in the nation. And Hawaii averages 3.8 gun deaths per 100,000 residents. … We’re the second-safest state in our country.”
Only Massachusetts has fewer gun deaths per 100,000 residents than Hawaii.
Green said the work of legislators in crafting the two bills set the groundwork for Hawaii to “work toward being the safest.”
Only a handful of concealed carry permits had been issued to private citizens by the counties’ police chiefs over the years. The state’s hand was forced, however, by last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Bruen case, which struck down as unconstitutional New York State’s concealed carry law that required an individual to prove “proper cause” existed before a license would be issued allowing that person to carry a concealed pistol or revolver in public.
Nick McLean, Hawaii’s first deputy solicitor general, called SB 1320 “a bill that will reduce the risk of gun violence in our communities by strengthening the state’s firearms laws and by establishing reasonable safeguards.”
“SB 1230 will promote gun safety by establishing new training and education requirements,” McLean said. “It will clarify gun licensing rules to conform to the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen last year. It will also create new protections for sensitive locations. These are places like schools, parks, hospitals and playgrounds — places where guns simply do not belong.”
State Rep. David Tarnas, a Big Island Democrat and House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs chairman, said the intent of legislators in crafting SB 1230 is “to create a balanced approach that respects the rights of gun owners and the need to maintain a safe and protected space in Hawaii.”
“Some of the highlights of the legislation include a robust training requirement to obtain a license, strict background checks — including whether the applicant would present a danger to the community based on a number of factors — and the requirement that the applicant must identify any health care providers who possess records having a bearing on the mental health of the applicant,” Tarnas said.
Senate Vice President Michelle Kidani called the active-shooter training measure “a significant step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students across this beautiful state of Hawaii.”
“This comprehensive training program will equip our educators, students and law enforcement agencies with the necessary tools, knowledge and skills to respond effectively in the event of an active-shooter situation,” Kidani said. “But God help us that never happens.
“Let us also reflect and be horrified by the broader issue at hand, by remembering the precious lives that have already been lost and the families forever impacted by gun violence. The safety of our children is our utmost priority, and this legislation reflects our commitment to creating a secure and nurturing learning environment.”
Tarnas called HB 1329 “a strategic approach to the nationwide epidemic of mass shootings in schools.”
“This bill is an investment that equips our students and teachers with the critical knowledge and skills to respond to emergencies,” he said.
“These new laws ensure that Hawaii continues to be one of the safest states in America,” said Sen. Glenn Wakai, the Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee chairman who introduced SB 1230. “Gun advocates threaten to sue the state, but I am confident that lawmakers have crafted bills that are legally bulletproof.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.