WA House votes on mandating 10-day waiting period for all firearms. Here are the details
Democratic lawmakers in Washington state voted Tuesday night on a bill that would require a 10-day waiting period when purchasing firearms.
Firearms dealers would not be able to sell or transfer guns without completion of a background check and 10 days have elapsed since the check was initiated. Those purchasing firearms would also have to show valid proof of a completed firearms safety training program completed in the previous five years.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Liz Berry, D-Seattle, at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee’s office, and passed the House with a 52-44 vote. It will now head to the Senate for consideration.
“This bill will save lives,” said Berry. “It’s simple: 10-day waiting periods reduce gun violence. Research shows that delaying a person in crisis from obtaining a firearm can be the difference between life and death. And over half of suicides in the U.S. are done by firearms. That’s why this cooling off period is so important.”
The legislation passed just one day ahead of an important cutoff deadline for bills in the Legislature. Bills must be passed from their house of origin by Wednesday in order to continue the legislative process.
Several Republicans spoke out against Berry’s bill on the debate floor.
“This bill will impair your right to keep and bear a firearm,” said Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen. “That’s an irreconcilable problem.”
Walsh argued that Washington state’s Constitution is clearer than the federal constitution when it comes to gun ownership rights, and said that the state is the standard in terms of clarity and purpose about the reason to keep and bear arms.
He added that he believes Berry’s proposed bill infringes on those rights, and thinks the legislation could potentially face some legal hiccups similar to the federal Supreme Court’s Bruen decision which held that a New York State law infringed on Second Amendment rights.
An earlier version of the proposed bill in Washington state would have required a permit to purchase firearms, but Berry introduced a striking amendment to the legislation prior to the floor debate Tuesday to remove that provision.
Currently, a 10-day waiting period is only mandatory in the state when purchasing a semiautomatic assault rifle. Washington allows 10 days for background checks for firearms to be completed, unless purchasers clear the check before then.
In 2018, Initiative 1639 was adopted by Washington voters to implement the waiting period for semiautomatic rifles. It required purchasers of semiautomatic weapons to complete enhanced background checks and enacted the waiting period for those weapons. The law also made it illegal for those under 21 to purchase semiautomatic assault rifles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicides by firearms made up more than half of all suicides in the U.S. between 2018 and 2021.
If passed by the Legislature and signed by Inslee, Berry’s legislation would go into effect on July 1, 2024.
The Legislature adjourns on April 23.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 9:49 AM with the headline "WA House votes on mandating 10-day waiting period for all firearms. Here are the details."
