YIKES, who knew that such a short bill (put in by Democrats) could wreak so much damage on shooting sports? It’s almost like that want to regulate shooting ranges out of existence!
I was just passed a notice of this bill about 10 minutes ago so better eyes than mine NEED to look this over. It is being heard TOMORROW in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
More details as I get them but here is the text of the SB469:
SB 469 – AS INTRODUCED
2020 SESSION20-2768
04/08SENATE BILL 469
AN ACT relative to shooting ranges.SPONSORS: Sen. Dietsch, Dist 9; Sen. Kahn, Dist 10
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
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ANALYSIS
This bill repeals and reenacts the statute governing shooting ranges and subjects an owner or operator of a shooting range to civil and criminal liability for violation of noise ordinances or damage to persons or property caused by the operation of a shooting range.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
20-2768
04/08STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty
AN ACT relative to shooting ranges.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Shooting Ranges. RSA 159-B is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
CHAPTER 159-B
SHOOTING RANGES
159-B:1 Definitions. In this chapter:
I. “Noise” shall mean the intensity, duration, and character of sounds from shooting.
II. “Shooting range” shall mean a property or properties designed and operated for persons using rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, or black powder weapons, as defined by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; or archery; air rifles; silhouettes; skeet ranges; trap ranges; or other similar facilities.
159-B:2 Compliance With Noise Ordinances.
I. An owner or operator of a shooting range shall comply with all duly adopted noise control ordinances in effect on or after the effective date of this section in the municipality in which the shooting range is established or operated. No noise control ordinance shall restrict a weapon listed in RSA 159-B:1, II from firing within a shooting range, between dawn and dusk, at a rate of 2 seconds or more between shots.
So if your Selectmen or others decide to kill off your club or range, all they have to do is put in an ordinance with decibel ratings so lo, no firearm can meet it. Perhaps a .22 with a suppressor but that’ll be about it.
Taken the worst way, that “at a rate of 2 seconds or more between shots” could mean range-wide. So, worst case, if a club has multiple shooting areas, ONE shooter at a time across the entire range can shoot. Go ahead, try to coordinate that well. It certainly takes out any machine gun / automatic weapon shoots. Kiss trap shooting goodbye, steel challenges are gone. Someone pointed out:
“No more bowling pin, plate matches, high power shoots, IDPA,IPSC and even turkey shoots, muzzle loader shoots into history. Even Scout training too!“
And it gets worse – look at these draconian fines. What range is going to want to remain open just to have themselves bled financially dry???
II. An owner or operator who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and:
(a) For a first offense, shall be subject to a warning.
(b) For a second offense, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $500.
(c) For a third or subsequent offense, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000 for each such offense.
And ANYONE can serve a suit on the range and look at the time frame!
159-B:3 Cause of Action. A person may maintain a private action against the owner or operator of a shooting range for a violation of this chapter, provided the action is brought within 3 years from the date the violation was or should have been discovered.
This last bit is about the only thing that makes any kind of sense at all from a civil standpoint – but CRIMINALLY responsible for the actions of someone using your range? These two Democrat nitwits don’t care about personal responsibility:
159-B:4 Liability for Stray Ammunition or Debris. The owner or operator of a shooting range shall be subject to civil and criminal liability for injuries to any person or damage to property caused by stray ammunition, target parts, explosive devices, or other debris resulting from the operation of a shooting range that leave the boundaries of the shooting range.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.
This is nothing less than trying to outlaw EVERY RANGE in the State. Note that it never makes any kind of distinction between an indoor or outdoor range – any anti-gunner could go anywhere and shut you down simply by renting a gun, getting a lane, and then just stand there with a decibel meter and a stopwatch.
