AG Nick Brown testifies in support of ‘permit to purchase’ legislation

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Nick Brown today told legislators they can save lives by passing permit to purchase legislation for gun buyers (HB 1163).

“This policy gives us the tools we need to ensure gun buyers aren’t doing so illegally under existing state and federal laws,” Brown said in his testimony to the Senate Committee on Law & Justice. “Through background checks, training, and other safety steps, we can make meaningful use of the critical time between someone’s choice to purchase a firearm and when they obtain that weapon.”

The bill, which the committee is scheduled to vote on Thursday, enhances permitting for firearms by requiring applicants to complete State Patrol-certified safety training, including essential firearm safety procedures, responsible firearm handling, and live-fire exercises to ensure practical firearm proficiency.

"Research and data clearly show that permit-to-purchase programs reduce gun-related deaths, curb gun trafficking, and improve law enforcement officer safety. This bill will save lives,” said Senate Law & Justice Committee Chair Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond.

HB 1163 also establishes in-depth background checks conducted to receive a permit, background checks at the point of purchase, and an annual re-check to ensure permit holders remain eligible. Together, these elements provide more certainty that people who are prohibited from owning guns are quickly and consistently identified and won’t be able to purchase a firearm.

"Gun violence is the number one cause of death for our kids. Not disease, not vehicular collisions, not drugs. As a mom of two little kids, and having lost someone I love to gun violence, this is personal to me,” said House Rep. Liz Berry, D-Seattle, the bill’s lead sponsor. “But I am not alone. Being afraid that our children will suffer from gun violence should not be part of our daily lives. It is unacceptable, it is unsustainable, and we must act today. Permit to Purchase will save lives and make all our communities safer."

Connecticut enacted similar permit-to-purchase legislation 30 years ago and saw a 40% drop in gun homicides in the decade that followed, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.

“This bill builds on our commonsense requirement that background checks be part of the process for buying firearms in Washington,” said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds. “By having people get a permit and background check before they purchase, we can ensure only responsible owners are the ones who have access to firearms in our state/”

The bill previously passed out of the House on a vote of 58-38.

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