By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New— State Legislatures-Alaska: The Alaska Senate State Affairs Committee held a Feb. 12 hearing on SB203, a bill that would expand state restrictions on certain handgun parts beyond existing federal law; and further limits on the right to keep and bear arms; California: California lawmakers have continued their push for stricter gun control during the 2025–2026 legislative session; Colorado: On Feb. 12, the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 26-043, which regulates firearm barrels; The Colorado House Judiciary Committee will review two major firearm-related bills next week: Florida: The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee has approved SB1748, a measure that would limit product-liability exposure for the firearm industry. Indiana: SB 176, a bill that prevents counties, cities, and towns from using planning and zoning powers to effectively restrict or prohibit the establishment, use, or maintenance of shooting ranges; Mississippi:: SB2339 amends Mississippi’s domestic‑abuse protection‑order statute to let courts, after a separate finding that firearm possession poses a risk to the petitioner or children, order law enforcement to remove the respondent’s firearms; New Mexico: Last Thursday night, a New Mexico House committee approved a broad gun-control bill and sent SB17 to the House Judiciary Committee, where it could be heard with little advance notice; Oregon: HB4145, the bill that would implement Ballot Measure 114, which had been scheduled for a “work session” on Feb. 11, was rescheduled for Feb. 16; South Dakota: On Tuesday, February 10th, Governor Larry Rhoden signed Senate Bill 2; Vermont: H606, a massive bill that causes more constitutional problems than it purports to solve, has been introduced; Virginia: HB1524, prohibiting the carrying of “assault weapons” in public, which are loosely defined, passed the House Public Safety Committee on Feb. 13; Wyoming: The 2026 legislative session began on Monday, Feb. 9.
State Legislatures
All state legislatures, except Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas, are in session in 2026.
Alaska: The Alaska Senate State Affairs Committee held a February 12 hearing on SB203, a bill that would expand state restrictions on certain handgun parts beyond existing federal law. The measure targets devices that enable a handgun to fire more than one round per trigger pull, and critics warn that its broader scope could entangle people who currently possess these parts legally, duplicating federal law and potentially paving the way for future hardware bans and more limits on the right to keep and bear arms.
Senate Bill 203 seeks to implement a state-level statute more stringent than federal law regarding devices that can allow a handgun to fire more than one round per trigger pull. However, this legislation goes beyond federal law and could create complications for persons who lawfully possess parts in accordance with existing laws. Expanding prohibitions beyond federal law is not only duplicative and unnecessary, but can lead to unintended consequences and is a slippery slope towards future hardware bans and infringements on the right to keep and bear arms in Alaska.
California: California lawmakers continue their efforts to impose stricter gun control during the 2025–2026 legislative session. With over a week remaining before the bill-filing deadline, more proposals are anticipated. Two new bills—SB948 and AB1753—raise particular concern among Second Amendment supporters.
- SB948 would significantly increase the requirements for obtaining a Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC). Starting in 2028, applicants must complete at least 8 hours of state-approved training, including live-fire exercises and classroom instruction. The bill also requires new California residents who own firearms to get an FSC within 60 days and report proof to the Department of Justice—adding more red tape for lawful gun owners.
- AB1753 would amend the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) framework by extending the same rules for firearms to ammunition possession. Critics argue this change would weaken due process rights under California’s current red flag laws rather than improve public safety.
- Both bills are still awaiting committee referrals and hearing dates.
Colorado: On Thursday, Feb. 12, the Senate Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs held a hearing on Senate Bill 26-043, which regulates firearm barrels. This is an onerous bill.
- Requires all firearm barrels to be sold or transferred in person through an FFL.
- Establishes criminal and civil penalties for possession, transfer, and sale, including civil infractions and misdemeanors.
- Sets the age requirement to at least 18 years old for purchase.
- Mandates FFLs to record all sales and transfers (these forms must be kept for at least 5 years)using a form supplied by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, which must be kept for at least five years.This effectively establishes a permanent registry of firearm owners.
The Colorado House Judiciary Committee will review two major firearm-related bills next week:
Tuesday, Feb. 17 – HB26-1021 (“Second Amendment Protection Act”)
This bill would rollback much of Colorado’s current gun laws, including:
- Repealing the 21-year minimum age and three-day waiting period for firearm purchases.
- Removing safe storage requirements and background checks for private sales.
- Lifting bans on carrying guns in polling places, schools, and government buildings.
- Repealing restrictions on “ghost guns” and high-capacity magazines.
- Ending liability standards for gun manufacturers and dealers, except in cases of proven defects.
- Repealing merchant code requirements and state permitting for firearm dealers.
- Declaring firearm regulation a statewide, not local, matter, preempting stricter municipal ordinances.
- Abolishing the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and refunding associated fees and donations.
Wednesday, Feb. 18 – HB26-1144
This bill would prohibit private individuals from using 3-D printers or milling machines to produce firearms or parts that are illegal or restricted under state law. It would also ban possession of digital files or coding for such components.
Florida: The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee has approved SB1748, a measure that would limit product-liability exposure for the firearm industry. It will now be considered by the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee, while companion HB1551 is expected to receive its own committee hearing next week.
Indiana: SB176, a bill that prevents counties, cities, and towns from using planning and zoning powers to restrict or prohibit the establishment, use, or maintenance of shooting ranges through excessive or discriminatory regulations, has passed out of the House Local Government Committee and is now eligible for consideration on the House floor.
Mississippi: Advocates and some law-enforcement voices in Mississippi have been warning for years that the state lacks any mechanism similar to the federal Lautenberg Amendment, which means many domestic-violence offenders could keep their guns despite federal restrictions. SB2339 amends Mississippi’s domestic-abuse protection-order law to allow courts, after a separate finding that firearm possession poses a risk to the petitioner or children, to order law enforcement to remove the respondent’s firearms and ammunition for the duration of the order and prevent them from possessing or purchasing guns during that time. However, it does not align well with federal law and could inadvertently trap innocent gun owners.
Gun‑rights advocates describe SB2339 as “expanding prohibited persons categories beyond existing state and federal law” and warn that it could sweep in more people and create new disqualifications, which is why you see it labeled as an “anti‑Second Amendment” bill in some commentary. Can Senator Wiggins be educated by his constituents?
New Hampshire: On Feb. 5, the House voted 188-165 to pass HR1793, a bill that would prohibit public colleges and universities from regulating firearm carrying. Attorney Mark W. Smith in a video shows the House debate before the vote. The young Representative, who looks no older than a college student, does an excellent job of arguing for HR1792.
New Mexico: Last Thursday night, a New Mexico House committee approved a comprehensive gun-control bill and might forward SB17 to the House Judiciary Committee, where it could be scheduled for a hearing with little prior notice.
Oregon: HB4145, the bill to implement Ballot Measure 114, originally scheduled for a “work session” on Feb. 11, has been rescheduled for February 16 at 3 pm in the House Judiciary Hearing Room B.
South Dakota: On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Governor Larry Rhoden signed Senate Bill 2, removing suppressors from the controlled weapons list at the state level.
Vermont: H606, a massive bill that causes more constitutional problems than it purports to solve, has been introduced. Section 3 of the bill expands the list of prohibited persons to include those who receive outpatient mental health treatment, and while individuals who are involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility would be prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law, mechanisms exist to expunge involuntary commitments, while no such mechanism exists for rights restoration for those receiving outpatient treatment for any host of reasons. At best, this bill would burden Vermont courts and create a complicated, expensive process for those who would not otherwise be prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under federal law. And to make matters worse, this law would apply retroactively.
Section 4 of the bill bans the possession of machine guns, machine gun conversion devices, and creates a completely ambiguous category called “rapid fire devices.” The bill makes no exception for machine guns legally acquired and registered under the National Firearms Act, and by creating vague categories of prohibited “devices,” the state could decide that virtually any perfectly legal, commercially available accessory “increases [a] weapon’s rate of fire or the speed at which the trigger is pulled.”
Section 5 of the bill would completely circumvent the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and allow Vermont to sue gun manufacturers, distributors, and local gun shops out of existence, targeting everything from small Main Street family owned business all the way up to the many high-quality manufacturers in the state that employ hundreds of Vermonters.
Virginia: HB1524, prohibiting the carrying of “assault weapons” in public, which are loosely defined, passed the House Public Safety Committee on Feb. 13.
Washington: HB1152, a mandatory firearms storage bill, is scheduled for second reading in the House. A $1,000 fine could be imposed for any firearm that does not meet the requirements.
Wyoming: The 2026 legislative session began on Monday, Feb. 9.
