02/23/2006 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

          SB 274-STATE FIREARM DISPOSAL AND INVENTORY                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GENE  THERRIAULT announced SB 274  to be the next  order of                                                               
business.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:49:07 PM                                                                                                                    
WES KELLER,  Staff to Senator  Fred Dyson, explained that  SB 274                                                               
relates to the disposition of  firearms by the state. It requires                                                               
that forfeited,  surplus or recovered and  unclaimed firearms and                                                               
ammunition be sold by auction that is open to the public.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He  advised that  the sponsor  would  like to  offer a  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  at  a subsequent  hearing.  It  would:  include                                                               
recommendations  from  the  Department of  Public  Safety  (DPS);                                                               
limit the  liability of the  department regarding  firearm sales;                                                               
and delete  from version G  all language  in Section 1  after the                                                               
word "dealers"  [line 7] and  insert "any firearm that  cannot be                                                               
legally sold under state and  federal law shall be dismantled for                                                               
sale  of legal  parts or  donated to  a museum  and that  illegal                                                               
parts of firearms shall be destroyed."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:51:04 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  THERRIAULT asked  if  DPS would  testify  at a  subsequent                                                               
hearing.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. KELLER said yes and that  Mr. Judy with the NRA was available                                                               
to testify today.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:51:27 PM                                                                                                                    
BRIAN  JUDY,  National  Rifle Association  (NRA),  stated  strong                                                               
support  for the  concept of  SB 290.  The NRA  position is  that                                                               
people  who  can  legally  possess firearms  should  be  able  to                                                               
participate in state firearms auctions.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
With regard to  the suggested amendment he  informed members that                                                               
the only  firearms that are illegal  are those that have  had the                                                               
serial number  modified in some  way and  the NRA would  like all                                                               
legal firearms to  be available for auction. He  wasn't sure what                                                               
would  constitute  an  unserviceable  firearm,  but  those  would                                                               
certainly have  some value to  a collector  or for parts  so they                                                               
could potentially generate revenue for the state.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Finally, the  NRA would  like to  suggest that  local governments                                                               
that are  seizing and retaining  firearms for evidence  and other                                                               
reasons ought  to be required to  sell them at auction  when they                                                               
are no longer needed for evidentiary or other purposes.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:55:05 PM                                                                                                                    
AUSTIN MAHALKEY, Glennallen, stated support for selling firearm                                                                 
parts rather than destroying them.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:55:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR THERRIAULT announced he would hold SB 274 in committee at                                                                 
the sponsor's request.