Summary

The Law & Justice Committee sends gun safety measures to full Council for consideration.

Story

A package of gun safety measures—including safe storage—is one step closer to becoming law across King County. The County Council’s Law and Justice committee voted in favor of the legislation this afternoon.  

Introduced earlier this summer by Councilmembers Joe McDermott and Jeanne Kohl-Welles, the Gun Safety Action Plan includes a measure to require gun owners to securely store all firearms. It also authorizes a youth-led report on reducing gun violence, requires the Sheriff’s Office to destroy forfeited weapons, and forms a task force to identify other public health prevention strategies for consideration.

The final element of the plan—a measure that would require warning signage to be posted at gun dealers and gun ranges—will be heard separately next week at a meeting of the King County Board of Health.

The committee-approved measures will now face a vote of the full county council later this month.