House hearing on storage and reporting mandates
The House Public Safety and Children and Families committees held a joint hearing on “Gun Violence and the impact on Children” and heard two gun control bills: HF 4300, “safe” storage, and HF 601, mandatory lost and stolen reporting. Both passed on voice votes.
At a glance
The hearing
- What: A joint hearing of the House Public Safety and Children and Families committees on two gun control bills
- When: Thursday, February 29, 2024, starting at 10:30 AM
- Where: State Capitol, Room 200. It was a ticketed hearing; tickets were first-come, first-served.
- Outcome: HF 4300 and HF 601 both passed on voice votes
- Our position: We opposed both bills
Archive. This page records a 2024 hearing. Gun owners submitted written testimony against both bills by noon on Wednesday, February 28, as a PDF attached to an email to the committee (ellen.mcdaniel@house.mn.gov), copying the Caucus.
HF 4300
“Safe” storage
What it does
- This revised “safe storage” bill was different from the bill heard in 2023. It would have required firearms outside your direct physical control to be secured with a locking device or in a “locked firearm storage unit.”
- Unlike the 2023 bill, it did not require firearms to be stored unloaded and separate from their ammunition.
- Violations ranged from a gross misdemeanor to a felony, and could make you a prohibited person who may not possess firearms or ammunition.
What happened
- Passed on a voice vote.
- Chief author: Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL, HD 40B)
- Our position: We opposed this bill.
- Bill text: HF 4300 at the Legislature
Our testimony
- SVP Rob Doar testified against HF 4300 at the February 29, 2024 House Public Safety hearing (the video is no longer online).
- Our written testimony opposing HF 4300 to House Public Safety, February 29, 2024
Our 2023 testimony
- HF 4300 was a different bill, but these cover our opposition to the 2023 storage bill, HF 396.
- Our 2023 press release on the House Public Safety hearings
- Our written testimony on the 2023 bill
- Chair Bryan Strawser testified against HF 396 in 2023 (the video is no longer online).
HF 601
Mandatory lost and stolen reporting
What it does
- A “duty to report” the theft or loss of a firearm to law enforcement as soon as “practicable,” and no later than 48 hours after you knew or “should have reasonably known” of the loss or theft.
- Violations:
- A first violation is a fine (petty misdemeanor).
- A second violation is a misdemeanor.
- A third or subsequent violation is a gross misdemeanor.
- Reporting a firearm lost or stolen would have given immunity from prosecution under Minnesota’s storage laws.
What happened
- Passed on a voice vote.
- Chief author: Rep. Kaohly Vang Her (DFL, HD 64A)
- Our position: We opposed this bill.
- Bill text: HF 601 at the Legislature
Our testimony
- Our 2023 press release on the House Public Safety hearings
- Our written testimony on HF 601 from 2023
- Our written testimony on HF 601 to House Public Safety, 2024
- No spoken testimony was allowed on HF 601 at the 2024 House Public Safety hearing because it had been heard in 2023.
Video
Watch the full hearing
What happened next
After this day
- Both bills passed House Ways and Means on April 24, 2024 on party-line votes.
- HF 601 passed the House 68-63 on April 29, 2024, and HF 4300 passed the House 68-64 on May 2, 2024.
- Neither bill moved in the Senate. Both were dead as of May 9, 2024.
Stay in the fight
Get action alerts
The 2027 session opens January 12. Get our action alerts so you know the moment a bill is filed, and when to call or testify.
Get in the fight
The next session is coming
This page is a record of a past session. The 2027 session opens January 12 with a DFL trifecta, and the fight starts again.
- Join the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus as a member.
- Donate: if you’re already a member, an additional donation supports our work.
- Become a Second Amendment Defender: a monthly gift that keeps us at the Capitol.
- Volunteer: help us staff events and get the word out across the state.
Coming to the Capitol in 2027? Here’s the public parking map.
Minnesota’s gun owners are not backing down.
Join the Caucus and keep us at the Capitol, in court, and in every race that matters.