Bills · 2019-2020 Regular Session
Relating to: prosecuting a violent felon for the crime of illegal possession of a firearm.
Court — Procedure Creditor Crime and criminals — Felony Firearms and dangerous weapons
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law prohibits the following persons from possessing a firearm: persons
who have been convicted of a felony; persons found not guilty of a felony by reason
of mental disease or defect; persons who are subject to certain injunctions such as a
domestic abuse or child abuse injunction or, in certain cases, a harassment or an
individuals-at-risk injunction; and persons who have been subject to involuntary
commitment for mental health treatment and ordered not to possess a firearm.
Under this bill, if a prosecutor has charged a person with illegal possession of a
firearm and the person has been convicted of, adjudicated delinquent for, or found
not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of, committing, soliciting, conspiring,
or attempting to commit a violent felony, the prosecutor may not place the person in
a deferred prosecution program and the prosecutor may not dismiss or amend the
charge without the approval of the court. The court may approve the dismissal or
amendment only if the court finds the action is consistent with the public's interest
in deterring the possession of firearms by violent felons and with the legislature's
intention to vigorously prosecute violent felons who illegally possess a firearm. If the
court approves at least one dismissal or amendment in a year, the court must submit
an annual report to the legislature detailing each approval.
Sponsors
Votes
Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 3, Noes 2
Passed 3–2 Feb 11, 2020 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- Jan 29, 2020 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kapenga, Craig, Jacque, Marklein, Nass and Stroebel; cosponsored by Representatives Sanfelippo, Hutton, Allen, Dittrich, Duchow, Edming, Gundrum, Horlacher, Jagler, James, Katsma, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Ott, Plumer, Ramthun and Tittl
- Jan 29, 2020 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Feb 6, 2020 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Apr 1, 2020 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1