SENATE APPROVES MEASURE TO MODERNIZE CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT PROCESS

Creates uniform permit, requires State Police to conduct mental health background checks

AUGUSTA—On Friday, the Senate voted 20-13 in favor of a bill to modernize the concealed weapons permit process in Maine to ensure mental health background checks are performed by law enforcement personnel.

“For too long, Maine’s concealed weapons permit system has been patchwork at best and dangerous at worst,” said Senator Stan Gerzofsky of Brunswick, the Senate Chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. “People of Maine should be able to trust that concealed weapons permits are not being issued to people who cannot pass a mental health background check.”

Currently, municipal officers and town councilors may issue concealed weapons permits. The bill limits issuing authority to the full-time chief of police of a municipality, and the Maine State Police chief.

The bill also shifts the responsibility for conducting criminal and mental health background checks from municipalities to the state police.

According to a 2013 survey of municipalities, nearly half are not performing the mental health background checks.

“Today we voted to improve our process for identifying those with criminal backgrounds or with severe mental illness who should not be given concealed weapons permits,” said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Anne Haskell of Portland. “We empowered law enforcement with the tools they need to access information when they need it.”

The bill also requires the state police to develop a uniform concealed handgun permit form by January 1, 2016 to be used by all authorities issuing concealed weapons permits and creates a confidential central database for law enforcement to access concealed weapons permit information.

Currently, there is no standard permit; some are paper, some are plastic, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The measure, LD 222, “An Act Designating the Chief of the State Police as the Only Issuing Authority of a Permit To Carry a Concealed Handgun,” is sponsored by Rep. Tim Marks. It faces further votes in the House.