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IN HB1284

Bill

Status

Passed

4/26/2019

Primary Sponsor

Jim Lucas

Click for details

Origin

House of Representatives

2019 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Designates Indiana State Police offices, county sheriff offices, and municipal law enforcement agency offices as voter registration offices, but only requires distribution of voter registration forms when a person applies for a handgun license.

  • Creates civil immunity for justified use of force under IC 35-41-3-2, protecting defendants from lawsuits by persons committing forcible felonies or causing serious bodily injury; requires courts to award attorney's fees to defendants who successfully raise this immunity defense.

  • Extends handgun license duration from 4 years to 5 years, eliminates the application and license fees for 5-year licenses starting July 1, 2020, and allows individuals to hold both a 5-year license and lifetime license simultaneously.

  • Requires law enforcement officers processing handgun license applications to consult local, state, and federal criminal history databases including NICS; adds prohibition on issuing licenses to persons barred from firearm possession under 18 U.S.C. 922(g).

  • Permits persons who may legally possess firearms to carry them on school property while attending worship services or carrying out official duties at a house of worship located on school grounds.

Legislative Description

Self-defense, defense of others, and firearms matters. Designates the following as voter registration offices: (1) Each office affiliated with the Indiana state police. (2) Each office affiliated with the sheriff of a county. (3) Each office affiliated with a municipal law enforcement agency. Provides immunity for a justified use of force in certain instances. Requires a court to award, in certain instances, reasonable attorney's fees and costs to a defendant when the justified use of force immunity is successfully raised. Permits a person who may legally possess a firearm to possess a firearm on school property if the person possesses the firearm: (1) as an employee or volunteer of a house of worship located on the school property; or (2) while attending a worship service or religious ceremony conducted at a house of worship. Increases the duration of a four year handgun license to five years. Provides that an individual may simultaneously hold both a five year license and a lifetime license. Requires a law enforcement officer to whom an application for a handgun license is made to consult available local, state, and federal criminal history data banks, including the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), when determining whether possession of a firearm by an applicant would be a violation of state or federal law. Modifies the fees for five year licenses beginning July 1, 2020. Makes conforming amendments.

Last Action

Public Law 107

4/26/2019

Committee Referrals

Judiciary3/19/2019
Judiciary1/10/2019

Full Bill Text

No bill text available