A bill requiring owners to lock up their guns has been introduced in Pa. House despite opposition from the Republican Party

Locks and gun safes will be exempt from state sales tax under a revised version of the Secure Firearms Storage Act that Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced on Monday.

The measure, introduced by state House Judiciary Committee Chairman Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery), requires gun owners to store their guns in a safe and sound or locking device when not in operate. This is similar to a bill he introduced last session that expired without a majority vote.

The latest versionhe said, is an attempt to address opposition to the safe and sound firearms storage order from Republican lawmakers who argue that keeping guns locked up makes them useless for self-defense in emergencies.

“We heard about self-defense,” Briggs said, noting that the bill’s definition of “possession” includes having a gun nearby so that the owner can easily operate it, but a child or other unauthorized person may not be able to access it. “So the person who keeps it next to the bed is reasonable.”

The bill would also require gun sellers to prominently post information about the law’s requirements and potential criminal and civil liability for failure to comply.

However, every Republican voted “no,” as determined by a 16-14 majority vote of the Judiciary Committee for consideration by the House. By the same vote, it was amended to include a sales tax exemption. AND standalone version on sales tax exemption was adopted unanimously.

“Any burglary, assault or act of domestic violence occurs without warning,” said Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin), the top Republican on the panel. “Victims are not notified in advance of impending danger. When a criminal enters a home at 2 a.m., a firearm secured exactly as required by law may be legally stored, but may also be functionally useless if the homeowner does not have access to it.”

Kauffman added that this solution does not address uncertainty about how investigators will know whether the weapon was properly secured before operate.

Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (Clinton) suggested that the amendment adding a sales tax exemption for gun storage devices didn’t go far enough. “No God-given constitutional right should be taxed,” Borowicz said, adding that the tax exemption should cover weapons and ammunition. “It’s common sense.”

Democrats’ efforts to pass gun safety legislation over the past two sessions have highlighted what House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) called the caucus’ “modest majorities” in the chamber.

Since Democrats won a single-seat majority in 2023, the House has passed several measures to ensure gun safety, including a red flag law that allows authorities to obtain a court order to remove guns from the home of someone deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Others lost by one vote, as Rep. Frank Burns, a Democrat from Cambria County, did he voted with the Republicans on measures including criminal penalties for failure to report the loss or theft of weapons within 72 hours.

In Monday’s debate, Republicans noted that the secure storage requirement works to the advantage of criminals.

“The government has no business micromanaging the storage of firearms in our homes. This is actually a very dangerous bill,” said Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette), recalling an anecdote Vice President J.D. Vance shared during the 2024 presidential campaign about his grandmother having 19 guns hidden around her house.

“In central Pennsylvania, we also have guns at our bedsides, in our cars, locked and loaded like moms, to defend ourselves, and that’s why our crime rates are low,” Krupa said.

Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (Philadelphia) noted that Philadelphia is often referenced in gun debates when lawmakers want “a good angle from which to discuss a tragedy.”

“The solutions provided by Philadelphians are often ignored by people who have not visited Philadelphia, God’s home,” he said, adding that according to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, which hands out free gun locks, unsecured firearms are the leading cause of accidental shootings among children in the city.

“Some of the arguments being made today could be taken a little more seriously if people in this building were interested in doing something that would reduce access to unsecured weapons and reduce the likelihood that people with nefarious intentions would get their hands on firearms,” Kenyatta said, noting that his husband is a gun owner.

Krupa said the latest national data shows that about 5% of juvenile gun deaths are considered accidental.

“The vast majority of minor gun deaths are not the result of a parent leaving a legally owned firearm on the nightstand. Most are related to violence and criminal assaults, particularly among teenagers,” she said, adding that deaths in vehicles were a close second.

“Both cases pose a serious threat to public safety,” Krupa said. “But we don’t respond to car fatalities by criminalizing the simple responsible ownership of car use. That’s offensive.”