The Delaware General Assembly passed legislation Tuesday which would increase the state’s purchasing age for most guns to 21.
Lawmakers also passed a bill that would hold manufacturers liable for negligent actions that lead to gun violence.
These are among the final pieces of an overarching gun reform package that Democrats announced earlier this month, after a series of deadly mass shootings across the U.S. Lawmakers have already passed bills that ban the sale of assault weapons, strengthen background checks and limit high-capacity magazines.
The purchasing age for a firearm in Delaware currently follows federal law, in which a person needs to be at least 21 for all handgun purchases and 18 for long guns.
This new legislation would increase the age requirement for those looking to buy semi-automatic firearms or ammunition for a firearm. Delaware lawmakers have pointed out how the shooters in both the Uvalde and Buffalo massacres were 18 and legally purchased semi-automatic guns.
The Senate added an amendment to the bill that would, for three years, allow people currently between the ages of 18 to 20 who have legally purchased these kinds of firearms to continue to own them.
It would be illegal for anyone under 21 to possess or own these types of firearms, after the Senate amendment expires.
Several Democratic senators expressed concerns with the House bill, which led to the addition of the amendment. The House passed the amendment Tuesday night. The bill heads to Gov. John Carney’s desk.
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The legislation would allow for some limited exceptions for shotguns and muzzle-loading rifles. It would also allow people 18 years and older to purchase a gun if they are in the military or law enforcement or if they have a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon.
People under the age of 21 can also possess a firearm for lawful hunting.
The House also passed a Senate bill on Tuesday that would ban the use of devices that convert handguns into fully automatic weapons. House lawmakers added an amendment that would ban the manufacturing and sale of a rapid-fire device, including binary triggers. It now heads back to the Senate.
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One bill that is not expected to be voted on in the final days of session is SB 3, a bill that would require training and a permit to buy a handgun. It passed in the Senate last year, but has stalled in the House.
This bill was not part of the package of gun legislation announced by House and Senate leadership, as well of the governor’s office.
Republicans have been against most of the gun reform legislation, arguing that a greater emphasis should be placed on school safety.
Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 256-2466 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MereNewman.
