In recent weeks, Shall Sign legislation has gone into effect in Kentucky and Arizona. These states now join Kansas and Utah as the first four states in 2014 to enact Shall Sign requirements. On November 1, Oklahoma will become the fifth.
On July 15, Kentucky House Bill 128 took effect. Signed by Gov. Steve Beshear (D) on April 11, the omnibus bill includes a Shall Sign provision which will require Chief Law Enforcement Officers (CLEOs) in the state to sign NFA applications within 15 days, unless the applicant is found to be a prohibited person.
In Arizona, House Bill 2535 went into effect on July 24. Signed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) on April 23, the new law requires CLEOs in the state to sign NFA applications within 60 days, so long as the applicant is not a prohibited person.
When the National Firearms Act of 1934 was signed into law, computerized background checks did not exist. At that time, the CLEO signoff was the only means by which individuals applying for a transfer of an NFA item could be vetted. Since 1934, technology has come full circle, but the now antiquated CLEO signoff requirement has remained. Many CLEOs refuse to sign NFA applications, basing their refusal on perceived liability or even purely political reasons.
Shall Sign legislation fixes these issues, ensuring that law abiding citizens within the state receive their CLEO signature within a reasonable amount of time.
We would like to thank Gov. Beshear, and Gov. Brewer for signing these bills into law. We would also like to thank the National Rifle Association for having gone above and beyond in support of these initiatives. Finally, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to contact their legislators in support of the issue. Without everyone’s of the support, none of this would have been feasible.
