THE DAILY RECORD
APRIL 23, 2025
Maryland legislators saw little progress in passing firearm-related legislation during this year’s General Assembly session, attributing the lack of bills that moved forward to the state’s budget deficit and the broader national political climate.
Gun safety advocates’ top pieces of legislation included the Comprehensive Community Safety Funding Act (HB 387), which would have taxed the sale of guns and gun accessories to fund trauma and violence intervention prevention programs, and the Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act (SB 943/HB 1050), which aimed to require and enforce the surrender of firearms within a domestic violence setting. Each failed to pass in both chambers during the 2025 session.
“It was a really hard year,” said Karen Herren, executive director of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence. “It felt really difficult to get legislators’ attention on anything that was related to gun violence or firearms, so in that respect, it was tough.”
Legislators moved several firearm-related bills to Gov. Wes Moore‘s desk this session, including SB 443, which reclassifies the transportation of a regulated firearm into Maryland as a felony, and SB 721/HB 929, which specifies that a person may consent to the issuance of a permanent protective order.
Herren said the reclassification of transporting firearms into the state is more of a reflection on criminal justice policy than gun violence prevention.
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