HB56

Background checks and waiting periods are common sense measures for transfers of firearms. Please support HB56.

As someone who went through the NH public k-12 system and experienced multiple credible school shooting threats through the course of my education, and who now goes to Keene State, where a huge concentration of future NH educators are, I want to give my full-throated support to this bill. Gun threats are a plague in our system, they are the one thing future teachers are the most scared of, and suicide, right now, is the 2nd leading cause of death in people aged 10-34. Firearms are a significant factor in those deaths, accounting for more than 1/3 adolescent suicide attempts in our state. Yes, it is fair to say this bill would inconvenience those people who want to purchase firearms, but it would save real, important lives of new hampshire citizens. This committee and the state have the chance to directly save the lives of not just young people, but people around the state, and the cost of it is only one long weekend. Please consider passing this bill, and do something genuinely good for this state.

I am a proud co-sponsor on this piece of legislation that is very important to myself and my constituents. Let me start off by saying that I support the second amendment, as I have many constituents who are gun owners themselves. I have had many conversations with constituents and they fully support a mandatory background check and waiting period for gun purchases. A majority of gun owners do not feel represented by the gun lobby organizations, and the notion that this is some kind of a gun grab is clearly an "alarmist" tactic. Due to the fact that we allow open/conceal carry it adds an extra layer of protection that those choosing to do so have legally obtained that weapon. Mental illness is a huge part of this conversation, and If we can in any way prevent another tragedy with this measure, it is all worth it. Please ask yourself the following as you consider this bill: 1. Where are the constitutional rights for the overwhelming percentage of this state who support these simple and precautionary measures? I urge you to support this measure and see it as a way we can ensure every citizen feels equally protected in the Granite State! I appreciate your time and apologize that I cannot be there in person this morning, Rep. Christine Seibert

I support this bill for New Hampshire

Dear Chairman Roy & Members of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, My name is Dr. Maria Boylan and I’m a family medicine physician. I am writing today on behalf of the New Hampshire Academy of Family Physicians in strong support of HB56 which will require a background check and mandatory waiting period during certain firearm transfers. Our board consists of a large group of family physicians with collective decades of experience in which we all have cared for individuals affected by firearm-related injuries and violence. We believe it is crucial to prioritize public safety and the well-being of our patients, especially in the context of mental health. The evidence is clear: background checks are a vital tool in preventing individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others from obtaining firearms. As physicians, we are acutely aware of the delicate interplay between mental health and gun violence. Patients who may be experiencing acute mental health crises, or those with a history of violence or severe mental illness, should not have access to firearms without appropriate checks. The ability to purchase a gun without any consideration of an individual’s criminal history or mental health status can result in immediate, irreversible harm. In addition, mandatory waiting periods can prevent impulsive acts. Many firearm-related deaths are the result of impulsive decisions made in a moment of crisis. Whether it’s suicide, domestic violence, or a fit of anger, the presence of a firearm during such emotional state can be a recipe for tragedy. And as a physician, I have seen the tragic outcomes of impulsive acts that might have been prevented with a brief cooling off period. I will share a story about a patient of mine who was just a young man, 18 years old, who was in his senior year of high school about to graduate. He was going through a difficult time and struggling with depression that came on suddenly after his girlfriend had broken up with him. Rather than reach out for help by talking to his family or coming to see me as his physician or going to the emergency room, he purchased a handgun. Within just hours of buying that gun he drove into the woods where he took his own life. He left behind a loving family and large group of friends. And because he was allowed to purchase a firearm in such a quick and easy manner, he acted on his impulse and died by suicide. I can’t help but think that if he had to wait just a few days, that he may have acted differently or sought out help. Suicide is the leading cause of firearm-related deaths in the United States, and firearms are amongst the most lethal means of suicide. As a physician, I have counseled numerous patients who are struggling with depression, anxiety, or trauma and I have seen the devastation that can unfold when those individuals have easy access to firearms. From a public health perspective, reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths is a critical aspect of improving the overall well-being of our society. As physicians, our primary responsibility is to protect our patients’ health and safety. The statistics are sobering: firearms are among the top causes of death in the US and instituting background checks and waiting periods would be a step towards reducing this preventable health crisis. As family physicians, we strongly support measures that would introduce background checks and mandatory waiting periods for firearm purchases. These policies are not only prudent in reducing the risk of harm from firearms but also align with our responsibility as a society to protect vulnerable individuals and prevent avoidable injuries and death. We urge you to take these measures seriously as they will save lives, prevent tragedies, and help to ensure that firearms are kept out of the hands of those who may use them in moments of crisis. Please vote Ought to Pass on HB56. Sincerely, Dr. Maria Boylan, DO Dr. Douglas Phelan, DO- President of NHAFP Board of the NH Academy of Family Physicians

My name is Emma and on January 5th 2022 I lost the love of my life Nate Morin due to no holding period on purchasing a firearm. I strongly believe that had there been a holding period that he would still be with us today. Nate took his own life shortly after being able to walk into a firearm store and walked out the same day with a handgun. Had there been a holding period he wouldn’t have been able to act on his then current emotional state taking a wonderful life from the world and tearing apart the lives of those he chose to leave behind. Please I beg of you push this bill through and approve it. It could prevent many more deaths like this one that has affected his family and friends.

We need more common sense controls on guns and gun purchasing to avoid being the next state to experience a tragic shooting, along with additional mental health services.

I support requiring a 3 day waiting period on purchasing a gun. Our neighbors son was allowed to purchase a gun and bring home same day. He took his life. He was just a young kid in college. This law could save people's lives.

I’m a retired trauma surgeon(40 years). It’s wrong and expensive in dollars and lives not to support this smart and important bill. You’d be convinced to support HB56 if you would come with me to the ER at 2 am to see the victims and perpetrators. Some of those victims were accidental, some intentional. You have to see the insanity before turning down this bill. I’ll take you to see yourself. Use common sense and wisdom.

Passage of this bill will undoubtedly save lives. Therefore, I wholeheartedly support its passage.

I think it’s very reasonable for there to be background checks and waiting periods for gun purchases.

A three day waiting period protects both the individual looking to purchase a firearm and the general public— a sale of a firearm without a waiting period presents disproportionate risks to those struggling with mental health, especially veterans or sufferers of PTSD. A three day waiting period would grant what those lost to suicide no longer have: time. Time to think, time to get support, time to find an alternate, safer course of action. If a threat is so imminent that a three day waiting period is a conflict to a potential buyer, then that is where law enforcement serves as a valuable resource. Individuals have the right to bear arms and to equip themselves for self defense, and this bill does not deny this right. Rather, it protects it, but helping reduce the chance of guns falling into the arms of those ill fitted to hold them. This law has the capability to save a life and, even if just one, that should be all the reason to see this passed and implemented into law. Let NH become a safer place for all citizens: gun owning and not.

A 3 day waiting period would give a suicidal person a chance to get help. It would not unduly impact other buyers.

It is important to have a waiting period to buy a firearm. A waiting period will give the buyer a chance to calm down if they are buying the firearm because of a stressful situation. This could help prevent suicide as well as murder

Absolutely in support of this bill to save lives. In loving memory of Nate Morin and so many more.

Gun violence is ever increasing. I no longer go to any activities that involve large groups of people for fear of guns showing up everywhere. Common sense gun laws to include background checks, waiting periods are common sense. Protect the public!!! Please pass common sense gun laws! My right to feel safe, be safe out in public supersedes some troubled persons right to buy a gun.

Please support HB 56! This is a sensible, clear, rational bill that would help to promote safety for all New Hampshire residents and would impose no onerous or complicated barriers for law-abiding, rational prospective gun-owners. Including background checks and a waiting period before approving a person for gun ownership, the proposed law would provide a layer of safety that would not hurt anyone. Gun deaths by suicide and homicide as well as accidental shootings are far too prevalent in New Hampshire (as well as in the rest of our country), and we in New Hampshire can take this simple, uncomplicated, and reasonable step to make sure that guns do not fall into the hands of criminals who may use them to harm other people. Thank you..