YAKIMA, Wash. – Gun rights and safety are back in focus as Washington lawmakers debate House Bill 1163. The bill aims to tighten firearm purchasing laws and has passed the House with a 58-38 vote. It is now under review by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.
The proposed bill introduces a comprehensive permit process for gun purchases. State Representative Chris Corry of District 15 voiced opposition.
“I believe that [HB 1163] is entirely in violation of the federal Constitution,” he said.
The bill requires applicants to be fingerprinted, complete a safety training program, and undergo a stricter background check by Washington State Patrol. It also mandates detailed records of firearm transfers and new reporting requirements for permits and concealed pistol licenses.
Rep Corry argued that the bill not only violates the Second Amendment but also the state constitution.
“It violates Washington state constitution, which has an even broader protection of firearm rights,” he said. Corry emphasized that it imposes unnecessary barriers on law-abiding gun owners, instead of addressing criminal misuse of firearms.
During a public hearing on February 24, Dr. Cassandra Crifasi, co-executive director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, supported the bill.
“States with permit to purchase laws have less straw purchasing fewer gun homicides, including mass shootings, and lower rates of firearm suicide,” she said.
Crifasi, a Washington native and longtime gun owner, elaborated on the benefits of the policy.
“As a longtime gun owner, I know if people want to hunt in Washington, they must get a license,” she said. “This is an effective life-saving policy that’s associated with lower rates of multiple forms of violence,” she said.
Corry, however, maintained that the requirements create unnecessary obstacles.
“I think that this creates a barrier that is unneeded and unwarranted, and I think, frankly, unconstitutional,” he said.
Washington state courts have upheld that gun regulations are lawful if they are reasonable limitations. The bill is currently in the Senate’s Law and Justice Committee, with a public hearing scheduled for tomorrow morning. If passed, the law would take effect in November 2026.
