CSSB 174(FIN): "An Act relating to the regulation of firearms and knives by the University of Alaska; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 174(FIN) 01 "An Act relating to the regulation of firearms and knives by the University of Alaska; 02 and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 FINDINGS AND INTENT. The legislature finds that the individual right to keep and 07 bear arms is a constitutionally protected right under art. I, sec. 19, Constitution of the State of 08 Alaska, and may not be abridged by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska. The 09 legislature reserves to the state the authority to regulate firearms, except as specifically 10 provided in AS 14.40.173. 11 * Sec. 2. AS 14.40 is amended by adding a new section to read: 12 Sec. 14.40.173. Regulation of firearms and knives. (a) The authority to 13 regulate firearms and knives is reserved to the state, and, except as specifically 14 provided by statute, the Board of Regents may not enact or enforce a policy regulating
01 the possession, ownership, use, carrying, registration, storage, or transportation of 02 firearms or knives. 03 (b) The Board of Regents may not regulate the possession, ownership, use, 04 carrying, registration, storage, or transportation of concealed handguns or knives, 05 except 06 (1) in a manner identical to state law; 07 (2) in student dormitories or other shared living quarters; or 08 (3) in restricted access areas under (c)(3) of this section. 09 (c) The Board of Regents may adopt and enforce policies 10 (1) regulating the carrying of openly carried firearms; 11 (2) restricting the discharge of firearms on any portion of university 12 land where there is a reasonable likelihood that people, domestic animals, or property 13 will be jeopardized; policies adopted or enforced under this paragraph may not abridge 14 the right of the individual guaranteed by art. I, sec. 19, Constitution of the State of 15 Alaska, to bear arms in defense of self or others; and 16 (3) prohibiting the possession of firearms or knives in the restricted 17 access areas of university buildings, which may include university-designated rooms 18 where sexual assault, sexual harassment, or domestic violence are investigated and 19 victim assistance is provided and in university-designated rooms during adjudication 20 of staff or student disciplinary issues and disputes; the university shall post notice of 21 the prohibition against possession of firearms or knives at each entrance to the 22 restricted access area. 23 (d) If the Board of Regents adopts a policy under (b)(2) of this section, the 24 policy must require that, if the owner of a concealed handgun 25 (1) is not a resident of the dormitory, the owner shall carry the 26 handgun at all times; 27 (2) is a resident of the dormitory, the owner 28 (A) shall store and secure the handgun in a lockbox provided 29 by the owner of the handgun when the owner is not carrying the handgun; the 30 owner is responsible for ensuring that the lockbox and the storage of the 31 handgun meet all requirements under state law;
01 (B) may not leave a handgun in a lockbox unattended in a 02 dormitory room for more than one day; and 03 (C) shall declare to the university that the owner intends to 04 keep a weapon in the owner's dormitory room. 05 (e) The university may collect and store for not more than one year 06 information regarding a student who intends to keep a weapon in the student's 07 dormitory room. The university may only use this information when making a student 08 housing decision for a student who has expressed that the student does not want to 09 share a dormitory room with a person who possesses a firearm. The university shall 10 make efforts to maintain the privacy of a student who intends to keep a weapon in that 11 student's dormitory room. The university may not segregate students who intend to 12 keep a weapon in a dormitory room to a separate building, floor, or area of the 13 university. 14 (f) The Board of Regents, the University of Alaska, and any officers, 15 employees, or agents of the University of Alaska may not 16 (1) except as provided in (e) of this section, create a database or 17 registry of persons who possess a firearm on campus; 18 (2) require written permission before a person may possess a firearm 19 on campus; or 20 (3) adopt an implied consent policy regarding restricted possession of 21 concealed handguns or knives. 22 (g) The University of Alaska, the Board of Regents, and any officers, 23 employees, or agents of the University of Alaska are immune from civil liability for 24 any act or omission resulting from a policy or regulation adopted or enforced under 25 this section by the Board of Regents or the president of the University of Alaska, or a 26 claim arising from the possession, ownership, use, carrying, registration, or 27 transportation of firearms or knives by any person. 28 (h) In this section, 29 (1) "concealed handgun" has the meaning given in AS 18.65.790; 30 (2) "firearms" includes firearms or other elements relating to firearms 31 or parts of a firearm, including ammunition and reloading components;
01 (3) "lockbox" means a metal, hard-sided container designed to enclose 02 or encase handguns with a built-in locking mechanism; 03 (4) "restricted access area" means the area beyond a secure point 04 where visitors are screened and does not include common areas of ingress and egress 05 open to the public. 06 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect August 1, 2016.