Washington HB 1903 (2023/2024) - Reporting lost or stolen firearms

[ATCclears]

AN ACT Relating to reporting lost or stolen firearms; amending RCW 7.80.120; adding a new section to chapter 9.41 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

Washington State Legislature

app.leg.wa.gov

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[ATCclears]

Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 9.41 RCW to read as follows:

(1) An owner or other person lawfully in possession of a firearm who suffers the loss or theft of the firearm shall report the facts and circumstances of the loss or theft to the local law enforcement agency where the loss or theft occurred within 24 hours after the person first discovered the loss or theft. The report must include, to the extent known: The firearm's caliber, make, model, manufacturer, and serial number; any other distinguishing number or identification mark on the firearm; and the circumstances of the loss or theft, including the date, place, and manner.

(2) A law enforcement agency that receives a report of a lost or stolen firearm shall enter the following information, to the extent known, into the national crime information center database:
(a) The firearm's caliber, make, model, manufacturer, and serial number; and
(b) Any other distinguishing number or identification mark on the firearm.

(3) A person who fails to report a lost or stolen firearm in violation of this section commits a civil infraction and is subject to a monetary penalty of up to $1,000.

 

[bentoncity]

Let me see here for a moment...
Assuming I 'lost' a weapon, how did I discover I lost it? Or going 1 step further, "when" did I discover I lost it? An hour later, a day, a month, 6 months? Depending on the 'lost' time frame, said weapon is probably 2k miles away. So I lost it at an unknown date, didn't report it because I didn't know I'd lost it but am now subject to a $1000.00 fine because I didn't report it
Maybe a boating accident? ( I had to toss that one in.)

Let's look at stolen..
# 1 question is was the weapon legally owned? If so, move to question # 2
# 2 is why in the hell would ANYONE, with even just a little bit of common sense, believe I'm not calling the law & reporting the theft no matter WHEN I discovered the theft? Apparently the bills sponsors are lacking that little bit of common sense.

I can just visualize a felon calling the law & telling them they lost a weapon or a weapon was stolen from them so they don't get incur a civil infraction of $1000.00. Oopsy, a felon admitting they had possession of a weapon? That felon would be as stupid as the individual(s) Berry, Taylor, Stonier, Fitzgibbon, Reed, Street, Callan, Walen, Peterson, Fosse, Reeves, Simmons, Kloba, Mena, Senn, Hackney, Goodman, Thai, Ryu, Cortes, Tharinger, Alvarado, Ramel, Duerr that wrote and/or sponsored said bill!

*What is the penalty for a felon in possession of a firearm in Washington State?
040(1)(a), you are guilty of unlawful possession in the first degree if you have been previously convicted--or found not guilty by reason or insanity--of any "serious offense." Unlawful possession in the first degree is a class B felony, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.​

*But probably only applies to felons outside the western 1/2 of the state.​

Dan

 

[Koda]

Why would anyone -not- report their stolen gun?

 

[arakboss]

"...within 24 hours after the person first discovered the loss or theft."


The thief will be the first person to notice the theft. So essentially you will have 24hrs after the thief takes it, to report it.

 

[GrayGoose]

Make sure you keep the receipt for the canoe that accidentally overturned during the tragic loss of all your guns.

 

[bentoncity]

Feel free to write/send the supporters an email...

'[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'

Dan

 

[Ducati_Meister]

When my Glock 32 got stolen 6 years ago in Southcenter aka the sh**stains broke into my car, I reported it and it got recovered a few months later in a traffic stop in Bellevue. This last Friday, I picked it up at WSPs Bellevue facility where it was held for some time.
Upon picking it up, it was covered in fingerprint powder, and the recoil spring wore out from having the slide zip tied open for years.
The rear sight was pushed over a fair amount somehow, so I'll just replace the stock sights as they are both rounded off and beat up.
As many know here, don't carry anything expensive or of collector value as it will get handled accordingly.

These idiotic bills only do so good if they actually enforce such laws to hold the crooks accountable, but God forbid as it's act of classism against society in the left coast.

 

[ATCclears]

 

[ATCclears]

A link to the House Bill Analysis.

As currently written and if passed, HB 1903 takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/1903%20HBA%20CRJ%2024.pdf?q=20240117052007

 

[ATCclears]

 

[Koda]

When my Glock 32 got stolen 6 years ago in Southcenter aka the sh**stains broke into my car, I reported it and it got recovered a few months later in a traffic stop in Bellevue. This last Friday, I picked it up at WSPs Bellevue facility where it was held for some time.

Did they tell you any reason it took 6 years of holding to get your gun back?

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Did they tell you any reason it took 6 years of holding to get your gun back?

No reason(s) given, but I made a FOIA request to get any records that might shed light as to why. The detective that was assigned to the case was attached to a fed task force aka the ATF Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF). Lord knows what I'll get.

 

[Koda]

No reason(s) given, but I made a FOIA request to get any records that might shed light as to why. The detective that was assigned to the case was attached to a fed task force aka the ATF Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF). Lord knows what I'll get.

Theres something amiss, no reason for 6 years. I can understand if maybe, the investigation was still "open" youd be out of the gun for the duration but this doesnt sound like a major case. The suspect was probably charged and convicted or whatever he worked out in the courts within a year, at that point the gun should have been returned to you.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Imo this is all about tightening the net and treating guns as if they were criminals. WA registry/permit program, allowing no "assault weapons" in but having ways for them to leave the state, a bounty for guns used in a crime, and now this. They want guns eliminated and the first thing to do that is set up state tax funded programs to identify and track every gun they can.

Mark my words in the future there will be news stories tracking individual guns. "This guns was used in 2023 for x then it was used in town y in 2025, then a bounty was paid on it in 2030." I have seen this exact thing on British television. A whole TV program following guns around as if it were a criminal investigation of a serial killer. It's coming to WA and eventually to OR as well. They are tightening the net from every possible angle to eliminate civilian ownership of guns in WA state.

 

[scarlo]

Oh no, I am in trouble now...buried a few at the grounds of the capitol in Olympia and don't remember where...

 

[salmon creek gary]

Why would anyone -not- report their stolen gun?

Felons, with impunity. They have a fifth amendment protection against self-incrimination.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Theres something amiss, no reason for 6 years. I can understand if maybe, the investigation was still "open" youd be out of the gun for the duration but this doesnt sound like a major case. The suspect was probably charged and convicted or whatever he worked out in the courts within a year, at that point the gun should have been returned to you.

A few years ago when I asked for any updates etc, I was told that my gun was tied to multiple investigations beyond the initial investigation they started after recovering the gun in a traffic stop. I guess that was their reason for holding onto my gun for so long.

 

[JohnnyMac]

So if I were to report all of my guns lost in a proverbial "tragic boating accident", then as far as the state is concerned, I no longer own any guns right?

 

[ATCclears]