NC H508

Department of Health and Human Services shall launch a two-year statewide firearm safe storage awareness initiative to educate the public and facilitate distribution of gun locks.

Department must develop a website by July 1, 2020 providing information on safe firearm storage, methods for storing firearms, state laws, resources for obtaining free gun locks, and links to resources on domestic violence, hunter education, and suicide prevention.

Department shall develop and implement an outreach process to disseminate information and toolkit to local communities and provide technical assistance for launching local firearm safe storage initiatives.

Initiative funds shall not be used to advocate, promote, or lobby for creation of new or revision of existing firearm regulations, only to explain and promote existing laws and best practices.

$86,500 in nonrecurring funds appropriated for fiscal year 2019-2020 and $69,200 for fiscal year 2020-2021 to cover initiative costs including purchase and distribution of gun locks.