Vermont is one of the most gun-friendly states in the country, but that doesn’t make the state’s anti-gun legislators any less determined. Case in point: H.709, a bill that would require residents to notify their homeowners insurance company if they own a gun.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic Rep. Thomas Stevens, hopes the measure will decrease gun ownership. “I believe it can be a free market answer to an important gun safety issue—let the insurance companies and banks decide what risks they need to consider when making mortgages and homeowners insurance."
H.709 is currently in “short form,” and doesn’t say specifically what the bill would and wouldn’t do. Aside from the potential financial deterrent to gun ownership, some worry that the bill could be a backdoor registration scheme if the government requires insurance companies to submit proof of compliance.
H.709 will be heard by the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development Friday.
