The Spokane Spokesman-Review reported on how House Bill 1501, the Law Enforcement and Victim Safety bill, got to Governor Inslee’s desk:

“Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, the bill’s sponsor, said he had asked about the consequences of failing a background check. The answer was none.

About 3,000 people in Washington fail background checks each year, Hansen said, with about half thought to be purchase attempts by criminals or fugitives. The new law requires a licensed dealer to report any background check failure to local law enforcement within five days. The person who fails the check can be referred to local prosecutors for charges, although the percentage of referrals that will actually result in prosecutions isn’t known, he said.

…

Work on the bill represented coordination among the National Rifle Association, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, law enforcement organizations and victim’s rights groups. It passed in the closing days of the Legislature’s regular session.”

Read the full story at the Spokesman-Review.

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