sb 0122

AN ACT relative to the license to carry a weapon.

SPONSORS: Sen. Boyce, Dist 4; Sen. Prescott, Dist 19

This bill extends the expiration period for a license to carry a weapon from 4 to 10 years, requires notification at least 60 days prior to expiration of the license, and provides that a licensee who ceases to be a resident of the community in which the licensed was issued shall have 90 days to notify the issuing authority of the new place of residence that the licensee has a valid license.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Pistols and Revolvers; License to Carry; License Expiration Changed. Amend RSA 159:6 to read as follows:

159:6 License to Carry. The selectmen of a town or the mayor or chief of police of a city or some full-time police officer designated by them respectively, upon application of any resident of such town or city, or the director of state police, or some person designated by such director, upon application of a nonresident, shall issue a license to such applicant authorizing the applicant to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in this state for not less than [4] 10 years from the date of issue, if it appears that the applicant has good reason to fear injury to the applicant's person or property or has any proper purpose, and that the applicant is a suitable person to be licensed. Hunting, target shooting, or self-defense shall be considered a proper purpose. The license shall be valid for all allowable purposes regardless of the purpose for which it was originally issued. The license shall be in duplicate and shall bear the name, address, description, and signature of the licensee. The original shall be delivered to the licensee and the duplicate shall be preserved by the [~~people issuing the same for 4]~~ issuing authority for 10 years. When required, license renewal shall take place within the month of the [~~fourth~~] tenth anniversary of the license holder's date of birth following the date of issuance. At least 60 days but not more than 90 days prior to the expiration of an individual's license, the issuing authority shall notify the licensee by first class mail of the impending expiration. The license shall be issued within 14 days after application, and, if such application is denied, the reason for such denial shall be stated in writing, the original of which such writing shall be delivered to the applicant, and a copy kept in the office of the person to whom the application was made. The fee for licenses issued to residents of the state shall be $10, which fee shall be for the use of the law enforcement department of the town granting said licenses and to notify residents of license expiration as provided in this section; the fee for licenses granted to out-of-state residents shall be $20, which fee shall be for the use of the state and to notify out-of-state licensees of license expiration as provided in this section. The director of state police is hereby authorized and directed to prepare forms for the licenses required under this chapter and forms for the application for such licenses and to supply the same to officials of the cities and towns authorized to issue the licenses. No other forms shall be used by officials of cities and towns. The cost of the forms shall be paid out of the fees received from nonresident licenses.

2 Pistols and Revolvers; Suspension or Revocation of License; Expiration Reference Deleted. Amend RSA 159:6-b, II to read as follows:

II. When the licensee hereunder ceases to be a resident of the community in which the license was issued [he] the licensee shall within 90 days notify in writing the issuing authority at [~~his~~] the new place of residence that [he] the licensee has a [~~current~~] valid license. Such license shall remain in effect until it expires pursuant to RSA 159:6.

The Department of Safety has determined this bill will decrease state general fund revenue by $22,125 in FY 2002 and by $44,250 each year thereafter. The reduction in local revenue in FY 2002 and each year thereafter is indeterminable. There will be no fiscal impact on county revenue or state county and local revenue.

The Department has assumed this bill would not affect the number of out-of-state residents who apply for and are granted licenses to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in the state. The proposed change, removing the 4-year renewal, will decrease revenue by approximately 75% leaving only state fees from new out-of-state licenses. The Department has no data on licenses issued by local police departments, therefor, they cannot estimate the loss of revenues to local governments.