First Substitute H.B. 268

Representative Brian M. Greene proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
DANGEROUS WEAPONS AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Brian M. Greene

             5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill redefines dangerous weapon and exempts archery equipment from the
             10      definition.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    defines dangerous weapon as a firearm or an object which is used unlawfully to
             14      inflict serious bodily injury;
             15          .    exempts archery equipment, including crossbows, from the definition of dangerous
             16      weapon; and
             17          .    makes technical corrections.
             18      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             19          None
             20      Other Special Clauses:
             21          None
             22      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             23      AMENDS:
             24           76-10-501 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapters 278 and 301
             25           76-10-503 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 317


             26           76-10-509.7 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 1993, Second Special Session, Chapter 10
             27           76-10-512 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2000, Chapter 303
             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             30          Section 1. Section 76-10-501 is amended to read:
             31           76-10-501. Definitions.
             32          As used in this part:
             33          (1) (a) "Antique firearm" means:
             34          (i) any firearm, including any firearm with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or
             35      similar type of ignition system, manufactured in or before 1898; or
             36          (ii) a firearm that is a replica of any firearm described in this Subsection (1)(a), if the
             37      replica:
             38          (A) is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed
             39      ammunition; or
             40          (B) uses rimfire or centerfire fixed ammunition which is:
             41          (I) no longer manufactured in the United States; and
             42          (II) is not readily available in ordinary channels of commercial trade; or
             43          (iii) (A) that is a muzzle loading rifle, shotgun, or pistol; and
             44          (B) is designed to use black powder, or a black powder substitute, and cannot use fixed
             45      ammunition.
             46          (b) "Antique firearm" does not include:
             47          (i) a weapon that incorporates a firearm frame or receiver;
             48          (ii) a firearm that is converted into a muzzle loading weapon; or
             49          (iii) a muzzle loading weapon that can be readily converted to fire fixed ammunition by
             50      replacing the:
             51          (A) barrel;
             52          (B) bolt;
             53          (C) breechblock; or
             54          (D) any combination of Subsection (1)(b)(iii)(A), (B), or (C).
             55          (2) "Bureau" means the Bureau of Criminal Identification created in Section 53-10-201
             56      within the Department of Public Safety.


             57          (3) (a) "Concealed dangerous weapon" means a dangerous weapon that is:
             58          (i) covered, hidden, or secreted in a manner that the public would not be aware of its
             59      presence; and
             60          (ii) readily accessible for immediate use.
             61          (b) A dangerous weapon is not a concealed dangerous weapon if it is a firearm which is
             62      unloaded and is securely encased.
             63          (4) "Criminal history background check" means a criminal background check
             64      conducted by a licensed firearms dealer on every purchaser of a handgun, except a Federal
             65      Firearms Licensee, through the bureau or the local law enforcement agency where the firearms
             66      dealer conducts business.
             67          (5) "Curio or relic firearm" means a firearm that:
             68          (a) is of special interest to a collector because of a quality that is not associated with
             69      firearms intended for:
             70          (i) sporting use;
             71          (ii) use as an offensive weapon; or
             72          (iii) use as a defensive weapon;
             73          (b) (i) was manufactured at least 50 years before the current date; and
             74          (ii) is not a replica of a firearm described in Subsection (5)(b)(i);
             75          (c) is certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum that exhibits
             76      firearms to be a curio or relic of museum interest;
             77          (d) derives a substantial part of its monetary value:
             78          (i) from the fact that the firearm is:
             79          (A) novel;
             80          (B) rare; or
             81          (C) bizarre; or
             82          (ii) because of the firearm's association with an historical:
             83          (A) figure;
             84          (B) period; or
             85          (C) event; and
             86          (e) has been designated as a curio or relic firearm by the director of the United States
             87      Treasury Department Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms under 27 C.F.R. Sec. 478.11.


             88          (6) (a) "Dangerous weapon" means:
             89          (i) a firearm; or
             90          (ii) an item that in the manner of its unlawful use or intended unlawful use is capable
             91      of causing death or serious bodily injury.
             92          (b) The following factors [shall be] are used in determining whether [a knife, or
             93      another item] any instrument, object, or thing [not commonly known as a dangerous weapon]
             94      other than a firearm is a dangerous weapon:
             95          (i) the character of the instrument, object, or thing;
             96          (ii) the character of the wound, if any, produced[, if any] by its unlawful use;
             97          (iii) the manner in which the instrument, object, or thing was unlawfully used; and
             98          (iv) the [other] lawful purposes for which the instrument, object, or thing may be used.
             99          (c) Unless specifically identified elsewhere in this code, nothing other than a firearm is
             100      considered a de facto dangerous weapon, and a determination made pursuant to Subsection
             101      (6)(b) may be made only after an instrument, object or thing is used in an unlawful manner.
             102          [(c)] (d) "Dangerous weapon" does not include an explosive, chemical, or incendiary
             103      device as defined by Section 76-10-306 .
             104          (7) "Dealer" means a person who is:
             105          (a) licensed under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 923; and
             106          (b) engaged in the business of selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring a handgun,
             107      whether the person is a retail or wholesale dealer, pawnbroker, or otherwise.
             108          (8) "Enter" means intrusion of the entire body.
             109          (9) "Federal Firearms Licensee" means a person who:
             110          (a) holds a valid Federal Firearms License issued under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 923; and
             111          (b) is engaged in the activities authorized by the specific category of license held.
             112          (10) (a) "Firearm" means a pistol, revolver, shotgun, short barreled shotgun, rifle or
             113      short barreled rifle, or a device that could be used as a dangerous weapon from which is
             114      expelled a projectile by action of an explosive.
             115          (b) As used in Sections 76-10-526 and 76-10-527 , "firearm" does not include an
             116      antique firearm.
             117          (11) "Firearms transaction record form" means a form created by the bureau to be
             118      completed by a person purchasing, selling, or transferring a handgun from a dealer in the state.


             119          (12) "Fully automatic weapon" means a firearm which fires, is designed to fire, or can
             120      be readily restored to fire, automatically more than one shot without manual reloading by a
             121      single function of the trigger.
             122          (13) (a) "Handgun" means a pistol, revolver, or other firearm of any description, loaded
             123      or unloaded, from which a shot, bullet, or other missile can be discharged, the length of which,
             124      not including any revolving, detachable, or magazine breech, does not exceed 12 inches.
             125          (b) As used in Sections 76-10-520 , 76-10-521 , and 76-10-522 , "handgun" and "pistol
             126      or revolver" do not include an antique firearm.
             127          (14) "House of worship" means a church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other
             128      building set apart primarily for the purpose of worship in which religious services are held and
             129      the main body of which is kept for that use and not put to any other use inconsistent with its
             130      primary purpose.
             131          (15) "Prohibited area" means a place where it is unlawful to discharge a firearm.
             132          (16) "Readily accessible for immediate use" means that a firearm or other dangerous
             133      weapon is carried on the person or within such close proximity and in such a manner that it can
             134      be retrieved and used as readily as if carried on the person.
             135          (17) "Residence" means an improvement to real property used or occupied as a primary
             136      or secondary residence.
             137          (18) "Securely encased" means not readily accessible for immediate use, such as held
             138      in a gun rack, or in a closed case or container, whether or not locked, or in a trunk or other
             139      storage area of a motor vehicle, not including a glove box or console box.
             140          (19) "Short barreled shotgun" or "short barreled rifle" means a shotgun having a barrel
             141      or barrels of fewer than 18 inches in length, or in the case of a rifle, having a barrel or barrels
             142      of fewer than 16 inches in length, or a dangerous weapon made from a rifle or shotgun by
             143      alteration, modification, or otherwise, if the weapon as modified has an overall length of fewer
             144      than 26 inches.
             145          (20) "State entity" means a department, commission, board, council, agency,
             146      institution, officer, corporation, fund, division, office, committee, authority, laboratory, library,
             147      unit, bureau, panel, or other administrative unit of the state.
             148          (21) "Violent felony" has the same meaning as defined in Section 76-3-203.5 .
             149          Section 2. Section 76-10-503 is amended to read:


             150           76-10-503. Restrictions on possession, purchase, transfer, and ownership of
             151      dangerous weapons by certain persons.
             152          (1) For purposes of this section:
             153          (a) A Category I restricted person is a person who:
             154          (i) has been convicted of any violent felony as defined in Section 76-3-203.5 ;
             155          (ii) is on probation or parole for any felony;
             156          (iii) is on parole from a secure facility as defined in Section 62A-7-101 ;
             157          (iv) within the last 10 years has been adjudicated delinquent for an offense which if
             158      committed by an adult would have been a violent felony as defined in Section 76-3-203.5 ; or
             159          (v) is an alien who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States.
             160          (b) A Category II restricted person is a person who:
             161          (i) has been convicted of any felony;
             162          (ii) within the last seven years has been adjudicated delinquent for an offense which if
             163      committed by an adult would have been a felony;
             164          (iii) is an unlawful user of a controlled substance as defined in Section 58-37-2 ;
             165          (iv) is in possession of a dangerous weapon and is knowingly and intentionally in
             166      unlawful possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance as defined in Section 58-37-2 ;
             167          (v) has been found not guilty by reason of insanity for a felony offense;
             168          (vi) has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial for a felony offense;
             169          (vii) has been adjudicated as mentally defective as provided in the Brady Handgun
             170      Violence Prevention Act, Pub. L. No. 103-159, 107 Stat. 1536 (1993), or has been committed
             171      to a mental institution;
             172          (viii) has been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces; or
             173          (ix) has renounced his citizenship after having been a citizen of the United States.
             174          (2) A Category I restricted person who intentionally or knowingly:
             175          (a) agrees, consents, offers, or arranges to purchase, transfer, possess, use, or have
             176      under the person's custody or control, or who intentionally or knowingly purchases, transfers,
             177      possesses, uses, or has under the person's custody or control[: (a)] any firearm is guilty of a
             178      second degree felony; or
             179          (b) physically possesses, uses, or has under the person's immediate custody or control
             180      any dangerous weapon other than a firearm while committing any felony or other violent


             181      criminal offense is guilty of a third degree felony.
             182          (3) A Category II restricted person who intentionally or knowingly:
             183          (a) purchases, transfers, possesses, uses, or has under the person's custody or control[:
             184      (a)] any firearm is guilty of a third degree felony; or
             185          (b) physically possesses, uses, or has under the person's immediate custody or control
             186      any dangerous weapon other than a firearm while committing any felony or other violent
             187      criminal offense is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
             188          (4) A person may be subject to the restrictions of both categories at the same time.
             189          (5) If a higher penalty than is prescribed in this section is provided in another section
             190      for one who purchases, transfers, possesses, uses, or has under this custody or control any
             191      dangerous weapon, the penalties of that section control.
             192          (6) It is an affirmative defense to a charge based on the definition in Subsection
             193      (1)(b)(iv) that the person was:
             194          (a) in possession of a controlled substance pursuant to a lawful order of a practitioner
             195      for use of a member of the person's household or for administration to an animal owned by the
             196      person or a member of the person's household; or
             197          (b) otherwise authorized by law to possess the substance.
             198          (7) (a) It is an affirmative defense to transferring a firearm [or other dangerous weapon]
             199      by a person restricted under Subsection (2) or (3) that the firearm [or dangerous weapon]:
             200          (i) was possessed by the person or was under the person's custody or control before the
             201      person became a restricted person;
             202          (ii) was not used in or possessed during the commission of a crime or subject to
             203      disposition under Section 76-10-525 ;
             204          (iii) is not being held as evidence by a court or law enforcement agency;
             205          (iv) was transferred to a person not legally prohibited from possessing the weapon; and
             206          (v) unless a different time is ordered by the court, was transferred within 10 days of the
             207      person becoming a restricted person.
             208          (b) Subsection (7)(a) is not a defense to the use, purchase, or possession on the person
             209      of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a restricted person.
             210          (8) (a) A person may not sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any firearm or
             211      dangerous weapon to any person, knowing that the recipient is a person described in


             212      Subsection (1)(a) or (b).
             213          (b) A person who violates Subsection (8)(a) when the recipient is:
             214          (i) a person described in Subsection (1)(a) and the transaction involves a firearm, is
             215      guilty of a second degree felony;
             216          (ii) a person described in Subsection (1)(a) and the transaction involves any dangerous
             217      weapon other than a firearm, and the transferor has knowledge that the recipient intends to use
             218      the weapon for any unlawful purpose, is guilty of a third degree felony;
             219          (iii) a person described in Subsection (1)(b) and the transaction involves a firearm, is
             220      guilty of a third degree felony; or
             221          (iv) a person described in Subsection (1)(b) and the transaction involves any dangerous
             222      weapon other than a firearm, and the transferor has knowledge that the recipient intends to use
             223      the weapon for any unlawful purpose, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
             224          (9) (a) A person may not knowingly solicit, persuade, encourage or entice a dealer or
             225      other person to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of a firearm or dangerous weapon under
             226      circumstances which the person knows would be a violation of the law.
             227          (b) A person may not provide to a dealer or other person [what] any information that
             228      the person knows to be materially false information with intent to deceive the dealer or other
             229      person about the legality of a sale, transfer or other disposition of a firearm or dangerous
             230      weapon.
             231          (c) "Materially false information" means information that portrays an illegal transaction
             232      as legal or a legal transaction as illegal.
             233          (d) A person who violates this Subsection (9) is guilty of:
             234          (i) a third degree felony if the transaction involved a firearm; or
             235          (ii) a class A misdemeanor if the transaction involved a dangerous weapon other than a
             236      firearm.
             237          Section 3. Section 76-10-509.7 is amended to read:
             238           76-10-509.7. Parent or guardian knowing of minor's possession of dangerous
             239      weapon.
             240          Any parent or guardian of a minor who knows that the minor is in possession of a
             241      dangerous weapon in violation of Section 76-10-509 or a firearm in violation of Section
             242      76-10-509.4 and fails to make reasonable efforts to remove the dangerous weapon or firearm


             243      from the minor's possession is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
             244          Section 4. Section 76-10-512 is amended to read:
             245           76-10-512. Target concessions, shooting ranges, competitions, and hunting
             246      excepted from prohibitions.
             247          (1) The provisions of Section 76-10-509 and Subsection 76-10-509.4 (1) regarding
             248      possession of handguns by minors [shall] do not apply to any of the following:
             249          [(1)] (a) Patrons firing at lawfully operated target concessions at amusement parks,
             250      piers, and similar locations provided that the firearms to be used are firmly chained or affixed
             251      to the counters.
             252          [(2)] (b) Any person in attendance at a hunter's safety course or a firearms safety
             253      course.
             254          [(3)] (c) Any person engaging in practice or any other lawful use of a firearm at an
             255      established range or any other area where the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited by state or
             256      local law.
             257          [(4)] (d) Any person engaging in an organized competition involving the use of a
             258      firearm, or participating in or practicing for such competition.
             259          [(5)] (e) Any minor under 18 years of age who is on real property with the permission
             260      of the owner, licensee, or lessee of the property and who has the permission of a parent or legal
             261      guardian or the owner, licensee, or lessee to possess a firearm not otherwise in violation of law.
             262          [(6)] (f) Any resident or nonresident hunters with a valid hunting license or other
             263      persons who are lawfully engaged in hunting.
             264          [(7)] (g) Any person traveling to or from any activity described in Subsection [(2), (3),
             265      (4), (5), or (6)] (1)(b), (c), (d), (e), or (f) with an unloaded firearm in his possession.
             266          (2) It is not a violation of this chapter for a person to own, possess, or have under the
             267      person's custody or control, archery equipment, including crossbows, for the purpose of lawful
             268      hunting or target shooting.


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