Bill Analysis
H7755 expands Rhode Island’s mandatory firearm safety training requirement from handguns to all firearms, increases the required training from 2 hours to 8 hours, adds a written test, and transfers administration from the Department of Environmental Management to the Office of the Attorney General.
The Key Change
Under current law, buyers of pistols and revolvers must complete a 2-hour DEM safety course. H7755 rewrites § 11-47-35 to apply this requirement to all firearms – including rifles and shotguns – and raises the minimum training to 8 hours. Buyers must also pass a standardized written test developed by the AG before receiving a firearm safety training certificate. The AG’s office would certify all instructors and curriculum. Existing DEM certificates issued before the law takes effect remain valid until January 1, 2031.
What It Means for Gun Owners
Anyone buying a rifle, shotgun, pistol, or revolver in Rhode Island would need to complete an 8-hour training course and pass a written exam before the sale can proceed. This quadruples the current training burden and extends it to long guns for the first time. The companion bill in the Senate is S2726.
Email and Petition
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