Delaware Legislature Adjourns 2024 Legislative Session Sending Four Gun Safety Bills to Governor John Carney’s Desk; Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond

Passage of These Measures Comes After Permit-to-Purchase Legislation was Enacted into Law Earlier This Year

DOVER, Del - Today, the Delaware chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety's grassroots network, released the following statement applauding both chambers of the Delaware legislature for passing several lifesaving gun safety measures before they adjourned for the 2024 legislative session this past Sunday. Now that they have passed both chambers of the legislature, they will head to Governor John Carney's desk for his signature where they are expected to be signed into law.

"The passage of these gun safety measures marks four more victories for Delaware, in addition to passing a critical gun safety measure to require a permit to purchase handguns earlier this year," said Monisha Henley, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety. "The dedication from our gun sense champions to ensure these measures passed is yet another reason why I'm proud to have been born and raised in the First State. We look forward to seeing Governor Carney sign these measures into law and call on other states to follow suit - so that these gun safety bills can save lives in Delaware and across the country."

"This is an example of why we continue to vote for and support gun sense lawmakers - because when they're in office, they pass laws to save lives," said Kristen Bruce, a volunteer with the Delaware chapter of Moms Demand Action. "After enacting permit to purchase into law this spring, our lawmakers refused to sit by while gun violence continued to impact our communities. Instead, they got to work passing four more measures, and our neighborhoods will be safer for it. We look forward to seeing Governor Carney continue to lead the First State to a safer future and sign them into law once they hit his desk."

"There's a reason our movement is called gun violence prevention. It's about taking action before tragedy strikes and that's exactly what the passage of these bills signifies," said Sydney McLean, a volunteer with Hodgson Vocational Technical High School Students Demand Action chapter. "When gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people in America, we can't afford anything less than our leaders fighting for our safety - especially on college campuses, which is why we are grateful to see a ban on firearms at universities be passed. We look forward to Governor Carney signing these bills into law and building on the progress that's been made this session."

The measures headed to Governor Carney's desk include:

• HB 342, which establishes a voluntary waiver program allowing individuals to temporarily waive their own ability to purchase, possess, or otherwise obtain firearms. Anyone who has concerns about their mental health can enroll in this program, which also includes procedures for voluntary removal later.
• HB 311, which prohibits the possession of firearms on college campuses, with some exceptions for certain authorized individuals.
• HB 155, which requires the secure storage of firearms in unattended vehicles, mandating that they be stored in a locked container, rack, or trunk.
• HB 270, which requires licensed gun dealers to keep ammunition inventory inaccessible by customers without the assistance of an employee; this bill would also require dealers to have theft and loss prevention plans in place as a condition for licensing and to report any ammunition thefts.

In an average year in Delaware, 123 people die by guns and 305 are wounded. Gun violence costs Delaware $1.4 billion each year, of which $44.4 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Delaware is available here.