Policy

• Adopt a law making it unlawful for a person to manufacture, transfer, or possess semi-automatic assault weapons.
  • Ban rapid-fire devices: prohibit the possession, sale, or installation of any device or modification — such as bump stocks, binary triggers, forced-reset triggers, or trigger cranks — that increases a semi-automatic firearm’s rate of fire to simulate automatic fire.
  • Prohibit possession, require relinquishment, and require law enforcement to remove firearms in the possession or under the control of individuals who are subject to domestic violence relief-from-abuse orders and those convicted of domestic-violence misdemeanors.
  • Repeal exceptions to background check requirements, thereby completely closing the “Charleston Loophole.”
  • Require safe storage of firearms when not under a person’s immediate control—either in a locked safe or by use of a tamper-resistant mechanical gun lock or similar device rendering it incapable of being fired.
  • Restore local control: repeal legislation (24 V.S.A. § 2295) that prohibits municipalities from effectively regulating firearms and allow communities to enact common-sense local ordinances.
  • Prohibit possession of firearms in designated public buildings.
  • Mandate a permit requirement for all firearm purchases in Vermont.
  • Hold gun manufacturers accountable: introduce legislation requiring firearm manufacturers and dealers to implement reasonable safety measures (e.g., childproofing, smart-gun technology). Establish liability for those who fail to exercise reasonable care or whose actions contribute to unlawful use or public harm — consistent with California’s AB 1594 and PLCAA exceptions.

Funding and Financial Priorities

• Fund research on gun violence in Vermont to provide data-driven insights for effective policymaking.
  • Create a subsidy program to eliminate taxes and reduce costs for secure firearm-storage devices, ensuring all gun owners have access to safe-storage options.
  • Establish a comprehensive tracking system for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) issued in Vermont, providing critical data to assess implementation and impact.

The banned weapons should be defined similarly to the definition adopted by New York State (N.Y. Penal Law §§ 265.02(7), 265.10).