Gov. Moore Signs Gun Control Bills Into Law, NRA Responds With Lawsuit

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday signed new gun control measures into law, placing additional restrictions on where gun owners in the state can carry their firearms. Moments later, the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit against the state.

Moore signed legislation approved by state lawmakers earlier this year in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended a previous requirement for gun owners to demonstrate need to get a license to carry a concealed gun in public.

During a ceremony Tuesday, Moore signed SB 1 — also known as the Gun Safety Act of 2023 — which prohibits a person from carrying a firearm in specific locations, including schools, healthcare facilities, government buildings, and venues that serve alcohol.

The law also prohibits a person from entering someone's home or property with a gun unless the owner has given the person permission. There are exemptions for law enforcement, security guards, and military members.

The law goes into effect Oct. 1.

"Gun violence is tearing apart the fabric of our communities, not just through mass shootings but through shootings that are happening in each of our communities far too often," Moore, a Democrat, said at a bill-signing ceremony, according to The Associated Press.

The governor also signed SB 858, which alters a state law relating to the storage of guns and ammunition in a location that can be accessed by an unsupervised child.

Under the measure known as Jaelynn's Law, gun owners are prohibited from storing a loaded firearm where an unsupervised minor can access it. The law is named after 16-year-old Jaelynn Willey, who was killed in 2018 at Great Mills High School by a 17-year-old student who used his father's gun, according to the AP.

A separate measure signed by Moore also removes the "good and substantial reason" language from Maryland law that the Supreme Court found unconstitutional in the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen case, the AP reported.

The measure also raises the age for obtaining a handgun permit from 18 to 21, prohibits anyone with a mental illness and a history of violent behavior from owning a gun, and increases the cost of applying for a permit.

Just moments after Moore signed the bills, the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit against the state.

"Maryland previously had one of the most restrictive wear and carry permit schemes in the country," D.J. Spiker, Maryland state director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. "Now, in order to carry legally, Marylanders have to go through a process that's somehow more burdensome, lengthy, and expensive to get a permit, yet effectively doesn't allow them to carry anywhere in the state."

The case, Kipke v. Moore, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. NRA's state affiliate, the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association, is also listed as a plaintiff.