Representative Doug Owens proposes the following substitute bill:


1     
SHOOTING RANGE REQUIREMENTS

2     
2023 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Doug Owens

5     
Senate Sponsor: Chris H. Wilson

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill modifies provisions relating to shooting ranges.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     defines terms;
13          ▸     waives fees at certain public shooting ranges for military service members, veterans,
14     peace officers, and retired peace officers;
15          ▸     exempts Department of Public Safety shooting ranges from certain requirements;
16     and
17          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
18     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19          None
20     Other Special Clauses:
21          None
22     Utah Code Sections Affected:
23     AMENDS:
24          47-3-304, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 155
25          47-3-305, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2021, Chapter 246

26     

27     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28          Section 1. Section 47-3-304 is amended to read:
29          47-3-304. Fees.
30          (1) As used in this section:
31          (a) "Military service member" means the same as that term is defined in Section
32     53B-8-102.
33          (b) "Peace officer" means an officer described in Section 53-13-102.
34          (c) "Retired peace officer" means a peace officer who has become eligible, applies for,
35     and may receive an allowance under Title 49, Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act.
36          (d) "Veteran" means the same as that term is defined in Section 68-3-12.5.
37          (2) Reasonable fees for the use of a shooting range to cover the incidental material and
38     supply costs incurred by making the range available to a group, may be established by:
39          (a) the State Armory Board established under Title 39A, Chapter 2, State Armory
40     Board, for a military range; and
41          (b) for a nonmilitary range, the state agency, institution of higher education, or political
42     subdivision that operates or has control of the range.
43          [(2)] (3) Fees for nonmilitary shooting range use may not exceed fees charged by the
44     Department of Natural Resources for the same or similar activity.
45          (4) (a) Fees established under Subsection (2) are waived for peace officers, military
46     service members, retired peace officers, and veterans at state-owned public shooting ranges.
47          (b) Notwithstanding Subsection 47-3-305(1)(b), fees are waived for peace officers,
48     military service members, retired peace officers, and veterans at shooting ranges that are
49     operated as a public shooting range staffed and operated by the Division of Wildlife Resources.
50          (c) Waived fees under this Subsection (4) do not include materials such as clay pigeons
51     or special targets.
52          [(3)] (5) Fees collected under Subsection [(1)] (2) shall be:
53          (a) for a shooting range operated or controlled by a state agency or an institution of
54     higher education, deposited in the General Fund as dedicated credits to be used for the
55     operation and maintenance of the range; and
56          (b) for a shooting range operated or controlled by a political subdivision, deposited in

57     the political subdivision's general fund.
58          Section 2. Section 47-3-305 is amended to read:
59          47-3-305. Exceptions and prohibitions.
60          (1) This part does not apply to:
61          (a) shooting ranges that are otherwise open to the public;
62          (b) shooting ranges that are operated as a public shooting range staffed by and operated
63     by Division of Wildlife Resources;
64          (c) the Utah National Guard ranges located at Camp Williams and the Salt Lake
65     International Airport;
66          (d) Department of Corrections ranges;
67          (e) Department of Public Safety ranges; and
68          [(e)] (f) ranges owned, operated, or currently leased as of March 26, 2013, by a state or
69     local public safety agency.
70          (2) Firearms may not be allowed in a school building, except under the provision of
71     Section 76-10-505.5, unless there is an outdoor entrance to the shooting range and the most
72     direct access to the range is used. An outdoor entrance to a shooting range may not be blocked
73     by fences, structures, or gates for the purpose of blocking the outdoor entrance.
74          (3) Only air guns may be used in public ranges where the ventilation systems do not
75     meet current OSHA standards as applied to the duration of exposure of the participants. For
76     the purposes of this part, an air gun does not include larger caliber pneumatic weapons,
77     paintball guns, or air shotguns.
78          (4) Group range use is a lawful, approved activity under Subsection 76-10-505.5(4)(a).