The Conference Committee on SB 401 Has Until 6:00PM Today to Advance a Ban on Assault Weapons
HONOLULU — Last night, the House followed the Senate in appointing the members of the conference committee for SB 401. The legislation would close a dangerous gap in Hawaiʻi law that currently prohibits assault pistols but not assault weapons that are shotguns or rifles, such as AR-15s. This bill would prohibit high-powered semiautomatic rifles and shotguns with military features that can fire dozens of rounds in minutes. SB 401 already passed the House and Senate, and now heads to a conference committee ahead of final passage.
Here’s Who is Part of the Conference Committee on SB 401:
- Rep. Chris Todd, 3rd House District
- Rep. David Tarnas, 8th House District
- Rep. Diamond Garcia, 42nd House District
- Sen. Brandon Elefante, 16th Senate District
- Sen. Karl Rhoads, 13th Senate District
- Sen. Glenn Wakai, 15th Senate District
Here’s What to Know About SB 401:
- Closing the loophole. For a long time Hawaiʻi has prohibited assault pistols, but the state has failed to prohibit the most common assault weapons, such as rifles like the AR-15. SB 401 would close this dangerous gap in Hawaiʻi law, prohibiting all assault weapons, including high-powered rifles and shotguns. Nine other states prohibit all assault weapons.
- Prohibiting the weapon of choice for mass shooters. From 2009 to 2022, nine out of the 10 mass shooting incidents with the most casualties involved the use of at least one assault weapon.
- Assault Weapons are 23x more dangerous than handguns. Between 2015 and 2022, mass shootings with four or more people killed where assault weapons were used resulted in 23 times as many people wounded per incident on average. Assault weapons like AR-15 rifles are especially dangerous because they fire ammunition at such a high velocity.
- The gun industry’s bottom line is to sell more and more assault-style rifles, which are cheap to produce but can be sold for thousands of dollars. Gun companies have made over $11 billion selling guns like the AR-15 since the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. In fact, two-thirds of all AR-15-style rifles in circulation were made and sold after the Sandy Hook shooting.
- This bill has bipartisan support. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voted in favor of banning assault weapons in Hawaiʻi. SB 401 has already passed both the House and Senate. Following the conference committee, lawmakers in both chambers will have another opportunity to vote for the legislation.
- This bill has overwhelming public support. 75% of registered voters believe people should not be allowed to purchase or own military-style semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s – a whopping 52-point advantage compared to those who oppose such a policy. Read more here.
- SB 401 does not impact firearms that are commonly used for hunting, recreational shooting, and self-defense. Most types of semi-automatic rifles, including common hunting weapons like .22 rifles, semi-automatic rifles that do not use detachable magazines, and semi-automatic rifles without prohibited military features are unaffected.
- SB 401 doesn’t take away anyone’s guns – gun owners who currently legally own assault rifles will get to keep them. SB 401 is squarely aimed at preventing gun companies from selling military-style assault weapons to civilians in Hawaiʻi in the future.
Hawaiʻi is an example that strong gun laws work – having one of the lowest rates of gun deaths—and among the strongest gun laws in the country. In an average year, 64 people die by guns. Gun violence costs Hawaiʻi $901.4 million each year, of which $19 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Hawai’i is available here.
To speak with a policy expert at Everytown or a local volunteer with Moms Demand Action about SB 401, please reach out to [email protected].