Bill Analysis
S2726 expands Rhode Island’s mandatory firearm safety training requirement from pistols and revolvers to all firearms – including rifles and shotguns – and increases the required training from two hours to eight hours, with a mandatory standardized written test.
The Key Change
Current law requires a 2-hour DEM pistol/revolver safety course before purchasing a handgun. S2726 rewrites this requirement to apply to all firearms. The new 8-hour course must cover live fire training, injury and suicide prevention, state firearms law, and conflict resolution, and applicants must pass a written test developed by the Attorney General. The AG’s office would certify instructors and approve curriculum, replacing DEM in that role.
What It Means for Gun Owners
Any Rhode Islander who wants to purchase any firearm – not just a handgun – would need to complete an 8-hour state-approved training course and pass a written test. Buyers of rifles and shotguns currently face no training requirement. S2726 imposes one, creating a new time and cost barrier before a Rhode Islander can exercise their constitutional right to purchase any firearm.
Email and Petition
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