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Governor Signs Law to Save Lives

May 1st, 2009, blog post by kmcomer

Yesterday Governor Christine Gregoire HB 1498 into law. The bill which passed nearly unanimously in the legislature, will bring WA state law into conformity with federal law by prohibiting firearm possession if an individual is involuntarily committed by a court for a period of up to 14 days.  The new law will ensure that the approximately 4,000 Washington residents who are found by a court to be at risk of self-harm or to harm others will be unable to possess a firearm until they have successfully managed their condition.

Additionally, the legislation will reform the records reporting system to ensure that all individual records are flagged in the background check databases within three days of the commitment.   Washington CeaseFire staff worked for the last two years to help bring the legislation to fruition.  CeaseFire worked cooperatively with both sides of the aisle, the Seattle Mayor’s office and other groups to achieve the historic victory.  The legislation was a led by a strong bi-partisan effort in the House spearheaded by Representative Ross Hunter (D-48).  Thank you to Governor Gregoire, our legislators, and our members for this historic victory.