HB 203 Summary

• Creates a new crime of "misconduct involving weapons in the sixth degree" under the Alaska Secure Storage of Firearms Act, classified as a violation (not a felony or misdemeanor).

• Prohibits keeping a firearm on premises unless it is carried by the owner, an authorized person, or secured in a locked container, with a gun lock, or by other means to render it inaccessible to unauthorized users.

• Requires firearm owners to secure weapons when they know or reasonably know that a prohibited person (as defined by federal law 18 U.S.C. 922(g) or (x)(2) or state law) can access them.

• Establishes penalties of up to $500 for violations of unsecured firearm storage and up to $1,000 for violations involving knowledge of prohibited person access.

• Amends misconduct involving weapons in the fourth degree to include a new provision holding owners liable if a prohibited person uses an improperly secured firearm to commit a crime or cause injury.