A bill that would allow people at risk of suicide to voluntarily give up their gun rights passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 77-20 on Friday, Feb. 23. The bill had already passed the Senate unanimously on Jan. 24.
SB 5553 allows a person to waive their rights to a firearm for at least seven days if they believe they are prone to moments of suicidal thoughts. The bill as it passed the House was amended to add protections for an applicant’s identity, which must be verified through a county clerk. The amendment would require the waiver to be entered into the national instant criminal background check system to identify prohibited purchasers. Waivers would be exempt from the Public Records Act and would only be disclosed to law enforcement.
“We are trying to take all the steps we can to move forward,” Representative Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, said during floor debate in the House of Representatives.
The language of the bill is problematic, Representative Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver said. She voiced concerns that people might interpret the bill as a waiver of Second Amendment rights and suggested that it could be termed more akin to a “do not sell” list.
“It allows you, in a moment of lucidity, to say when I get into those moments, please don’t sell me a gun,” Representative Paul Graves, R-Fall City, said during floor debate.
Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in Washington state according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the state’s annual rate is higher than the national rate.
A chart from nonprofit suicide prevention and education organization Forefront shows that 47 percent of the 1,129 suicides in Washington State in 2015 involved a firearm.
The bill will go back to the Senate, where it will be reconsidered with the amendment.
Suicide is a public health issue. If you need help, please call the suicide lifeline at 800-273-8255, the teen lifeline at 866-833-6546 or text 741741 for the crisis text line. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This report was produced by the Olympia bureau of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.
