This is the time of year when most state legislatures have been at work for several months, with some having adjourned for the year or reaching critical deadlines that will determine if legislation can proceed or is dead for the current session. Here are updates for several states; expect more in the coming months. For real-time information on what you can do to assist with our efforts, please visit nraila.org.
Georgia
March 6 was Crossover Day in the Georgia legislature, a deadline for the majority of bills to pass from their chamber of origin to the opposite chamber. Despite efforts by anti-gun legislators to restrict your rights, no gun-control bills moved forward, while several pro-gun bills advanced. We thank the pro-Second Amendment majorities in the State Senate and the House of Representatives for protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Pro-gun legislation that remains viable this year includes the following:
House Bill 79 creates a tax credit for those purchasing safes to store their firearms or for instructional courses on the safe handling of firearms. It would allow you to claim the value of the purchase, up to $300.00, on your taxes.
House Bill 451 provides an optional course in hunting-safety education for grades six through twelve.
Senate Bill 47 exempts the sales and use taxes on purchases of firearms, ammunition, gun safes and related accessories for 11 days, beginning on the second Friday of October each year, until 2030.
Senate Bill 163 strengthens the state’s preemption laws to expand standing and remedies for lawsuits against illegal regulation of firearms by localities. SB 163 passed the Senate and is in the House for a committee referral as we go to print.
South Dakota
Several pro-Second Amendment bills have passed in South Dakota.
On Feb. 24, Gov. Larry Rhoden signed Senate Bill 81 into law. This new law prohibits the assigning and use of firearm- and ammunition-specific merchant category codes by payment processors. This critical legislation protects gun owners’ privacy and ensures that politically motivated actors cannot use credit and debit card transactions to create a gun registry or to block cardholders from making gun-related purchases.
This is a victory for all law-abiding gun owners in South Dakota. NRA thanks all our members and fellow Second Amendment advocates who engaged with their legislators to support Senate Bill 81. We also thank those lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill and Gov. Rhoden for signing it into law.
In addition, on March 4, the Senate passed House Bill 1222 by a vote of 32-2, clearing the final legislative hurdle before being transmitted to Gov. Rhoden’s desk for his signature. HB 1222 allows for firearms to be stored in vehicles on school grounds by permit holders.
On March 6, the House passed Senate Bill 100, which allows enhanced permit holders to carry firearms for self-defense on the campus of a state institution of higher education.
Finally, on March 11, House Bill 1218 received final passage, and has now been transmitted to Gov. Rhoden’s desk for his signature. House Bill 1218 prohibits political subdivisions from restricting concealed carry on properties they own or lease for employees, officers and volunteers, and repeals “gun-free zones” at eateries and establishments that serve alcohol.
As we go to press, Gov. Rhoden has not yet acted on these three bills. For timely updates on their status, please go to nraila.org.
Wyoming
On March 6, the Wyoming legislature adjourned sine die from the 2025 legislative session. Earlier in the session, House Bill 172, the “Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act,” successfully passed through the legislature and became law without Gov. Mark Gordon’s (R) signature on Feb. 28.
HB 172 repeals “gun-free zones” for government meetings and schools, including college campuses. Law-abiding citizens in Wyoming will now be able to lawfully carry in more areas across the state.
NRA thanks the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Haroldson (R), as well as the many senators and representatives who voted in favor of this legislation.
Additionally, the NRA thanks our members and Second Amendment advocates for their engagement this legislative session. Stayed tuned to these pages for further updates.
California
On March 12, Assemblymember Rick Zbur (D-51) announced he was withdrawing Assembly Bill 1333, a bill that would have restricted self-defense rights in California. The legislation, which was strongly supported by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, received widespread criticism and pushback from law enforcement, Second Amendment supporters and everyday Californians for attempting to eliminate the self-defense rights of California’s law-abiding citizens. Thank you to NRA members that contacted lawmakers in opposition to the bill!
AB 1333, if passed, would have restricted the self-defense rights of crime victims by eliminating California’s “no duty to retreat” protection for individuals that are forced to defend themselves. This would make it easier to prosecute victims of crime who use self-defense if they did not first attempt to retreat before protecting themselves. AB 1333 would force victims to accede to the demands of violent criminals or potentially face legal charges themselves. This only revictimizes the victim of a crime while doing nothing to deter criminals.
Vermont
March 14 was the crossover deadline in the Vermont legislature. Bills that fail to advance out of the chamber of origin are considered “dead” for the session. Thanks to a strong response by NRA members, pro-gun lawmakers and our in-state partner, the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, no anti-gun bills met this deadline. Anti-gun bills defeated for the session:
H.45 would have prohibited carrying firearms in establishments serving alcohol. This bill would have disarmed law-abiding citizens and created hundreds of soft targets for criminals throughout the state.
H.368 would have banned carrying firearms in government buildings. This would have disarmed law-abiding citizens and government employees who must enter these buildings to conduct business.
H.381 would have banned purchasing or possessing commonly owned semi-automatic firearms.
H.392 would have banned firearms in state-owned buildings and lands, creating massive “gun-free zones” that would have disarmed law-abiding citizens and created soft targets throughout the state.
H.418 would have implemented an 11% excise tax on the purchase of guns and ammo. This legislation sought to increase the cost of firearm ownership to create a barrier for low-income individuals to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
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