Your Help is Needed —
E2SHB1163 will require a permit with extensive requirements in order to purchase a firearm.
Upcoming Hearing Friday
It has advanced to the Senate Ways and Means Committee to be heard April 4 at 1:30 p.m.
Pass Along Your Views — PLEASE!!!
Tell your senator you oppose E2SHB 1163 — Online
https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/1163
Register your opposition for the Senate Ways and Means Committee (by morning of April 4)
— Online
https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=Senate&mId=33216&aId=166782&caId=26829&tId=3
More Background: Bill Summary Page for E2SHB 1163
https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1163&Year=2025&Initiative=False
The Message (Addition to Opposition)
Here are a few points of discussion that focus on Ways and Means considerations —
1) WSP is already running behind with 250,000 annual checks now. Added to 700,000 CPLs, 250,000 permits to purchase and then 250,000 purchases. WSP will be running 1,000,000 new annual checks. This is extensive expansion for the load on WSP, which already is not keeping up with its duties.
2) Cost to implement is not well calibrated to revenues. Consider what the WSP spent getting the background system into operation, and it’s still full of holes.
3) The estimated staffing requirements are way too low to perform the duties required.
4) Funding mechanism is fundamentally flawed. With 18 months to implement, 100% of the start up costs BEFORE any revenue comes into the program, then 100% of the implementation cost has to be paid back in the next 2 years, along with the ongoing costs of operation. This is a MASSIVE upfront expenses to citizens in the first 1 year of operation.
5) Zero back up plan is specified in the law for system failures.
6) No staffing to deal with peak use periods, the same as WSP demonstrates now.
Thank you for your response!