H.B. 441 Summary

• Requires all firearms sold in Hawaii by licensed dealers to include or be accompanied by a firearms safety device, with exemptions for purchasers who own a gun safe or purchase a safety device within 30 days of taking possession.

• Prohibits the sale of ammunition unless the purchaser presents firearm registration and government-issued photo identification proving they are the registered owner of the firearm for which the ammunition is intended; violation is a class C felony.

• Mandates that firearms dealers maintain secure inventory, make firearms available for police inspection during business hours, and report firearm thefts to the chief of police within 24 hours; attorney general must adopt rules for secure storage in normal operations and during natural disasters.

• Prohibits the importation, manufacture, possession, sale, or transfer of .50 BMG rifles and .50 BMG cartridges after July 1, 2011, with violation as a class B felony; persons inheriting such weapons have 60 days to render them inoperable, sell to licensed dealers, or remove from the state.

• Allows firearm permit applicants to sign a waiver permitting police access to mental health records, with the chief of police authorized to withhold from the applicant the source of any information used to deny the application based on mental health grounds.