Urgent Alert to All Nevada Residents:
June 3, 2013, Senate Bill 221 passed out of the Assembly, and it is now making its way to Governor Sandoval’s desk where he has 5 days to veto it. This legislation if passed could have long term negative effects against those who hunt and those who are firearms owners. Please call the governor’s office today and ask that he Veto S.B. 221. You can reach the governor’s office by calling (775) 684-5670.
S.B. 221 calls for all private party transfers (absent a few exemptions) to be conducted through a licensed dealer. To conduct a private party transfer both parties must jointly appear at the dealer and the dealer must comply with state and federal requirements as though he were transferring a firearm from his own inventory. Please call the governor’s office today and ask that he Veto S.B. 221. You can reach the governor’s office by calling (775) 684-5670.
The background check inquiry for private party transfers will be made directly to federal NICS system as opposed to regular dealer transfers that are conducted through Nevada’s point of contact, the Department of Public Safety, thus overriding the state’s own laws to prevent federal overreach on firearm ownership by Nev. citizens. The reason for the discrepancy in background check inquiries is due to the fee ($25 for background check) assessed by DPS which would require a 2/3s vote for passage. By utilizing the free NICS system the legislature is attempting to circumvent Nevada’s constitutional 2/3s vote requirement for raising taxes. Instead the bill allows a dealer to charge a higher fee than a regular background check ($30 maximum). A person who fails to comply with the background check requirement is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and prohibited from possessing a firearm for a period of 2 years. A second or subsequent offense is a felony. There are “exemptions” to this bill which appear to accommodate common shooting and hunting activities. However these “exemptions” fail to cover all of the possible temporary transfers of firearms, thus leaving legitimate hunters and target shooters subject to criminal sanctions for simply donating a firearm to for a chapter banquet or lending a hunting rifle to a friend who has the wrong license. Please call the governor’s office today and ask that he stand up for hunters and Veto S.B. 221. You can reach the governor’s office by calling (775) 684-5670.