With calls for stricter gun regulations intensifying across the nation following the deadly Florida school shooting which killed 17 people recently, the Washington State Legislature on Tuesday passed a bill to ban bump stocks an add-on device that allows a semi-automatic rifle to function almost like a fully automatic weapon.
The Bump Stock Ban bill was passed Tuesday on a 31-18 vote after the Washington Senate accepted the changes made by the House of Representatives. Before giving it a green signal, the House on Friday made one change to the bill, thus allowing people who already possess bump stocks to sell them to the Washington State Patrol or a local law enforcement agency for $150, the Seattle Times reported.
The bill now requires the approval of Gov. Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign it soon. Once the new legislation sets in, manufacture or sale of bump fire stocks in Washington will become illegal from July 1. Also, it would become illegal to own or possess a bump stock in the state from July 2019.
“It is crucial that we ensure that weapons are not turned into illegal machine guns,” Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra said after the passage of the bill. “I think the culture has changed, where a lot of people really want to see sensible, targeted gun legislation.”
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