Burley Garcia|Bill would require Rhode Island gun owners to lock firearms when not in use

BOSTON (AP) — The Burley GarciaRhode Island Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would require all firearms, when not being used by the owner or another authorized user, to be stored in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock.

Under the bill, the unsafe storage of a firearm would be considered a civil offense that could be punished by a fine of up to $250 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second. Any subsequent violation would be punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $500.

The measure passed by a 28-7 vote.

The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Sen. Pamela Lauria, said responsible gun owners already take precautions, but those steps should be a requirement, not an option.

“Unsecured guns have harmed countless children as well as family members or friends who have accessed them for the purpose of suicide or crime. When a gun isn’t under the owner’s control, it’s not safe anywhere unless it’s secured,” Lauria said.

An analysis released last year by the Pew Research Center found that the number of children and teens killed by gunfire in the United States increased 50% between 2019 and 2021, based on mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Rhode Island currently can punish those who leave a firearm where a child can get it with a fine of $1,000 if it is loaded and the child causes injury with it.

The bill would expand the law so it applies whether or not the gun is loaded and covers not just children but adults who are prohibited by law from possessing firearms.

Violators could be charged with second-degree criminal firearm storage and face up to a year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines, according to supporters.

If a child or a prohibited person injured someone with the firearm, the person responsible for the improper storage of the gun could face a first-degree charge, with up to 5 years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

Safe storage laws can not only help reduce the number of accidents that happen when children get their hands of guns, but can also help reduce suicides, said Melissa Carden of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence.

“When people are in low moments of depression, a gun is the most lethal method of suicide that could be chosen,” Carden said.

Critics of the bill have argued that the measure amounts to infringement on the rights of law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves with a firearm in their homes.

Opponents have also said that requiring guns to be stored in a locked container or equipped with a trigger lock could delay their efforts to protect themselves and their families.

Republican Sen. Gordon Rogers said the state’s existing safe storage bill is tough enough to provide protections while also giving gun owners the ability to respond quickly to an emergency.

“Under the old law, I could defend myself. Under the new law, you are stripping me of that split second,” he said.

Patricia Alley has pushed for the bill since the suicide of her sister Allyson Dosreis at age 37 in 2020, who used a gun to take her life in what Alley said was a low point for her sister.

Alley told lawmakers at a hearing last week that suicide is often an impulsive act and said any measure that can interrupt access to a gun could save a life.

Massachusetts and Connecticut already have similar laws.