Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Encoded Ammunition: Pennsylvania

H/T Target Rich Environment: ... specifically, here ... and thanks to denizens of the Comments section of this blog.

(Summary Spreadsheet has been updated.)

Pennsylvania has jumped on the Ammunition Encoding Bandwagon:

House Bill 2228:


HOUSE BILL

No. 2228 Session of 2008


INTRODUCED BY MYERS, M. O'BRIEN, McGEEHAN, THOMAS, PARKER, JOSEPHS, FRANKEL, KENNEY, YOUNGBLOOD, W. KELLER, MELIO, WATERS, WILLIAMS, WHEATLEY, KIRKLAND, JAMES, BLACKWELL, CRUZ, ROEBUCK AND OLIVER,
FEBRUARY 5, 2008



REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008

AN ACT

Providing for encoded ammunition; imposing duties on manufacturers, sellers and owners of ammunition; providing for the powers and duties of the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Secretary of Revenue; establishing the encoded ammunition database and the Encoded Ammunition Database Fund; imposing a tax; and imposing penalties.


CHAPTER 3
ENCODED AMMUNITION

Section 301. Duty of manufacturers to encode ammunition.
(a) General rule.--A manufacturer shall encode ammunition provided for retail sale for egulated firearms in a manner that the commissioner establishes, so that:
  1. The base of the bullet and the inside of the cartridge casings of each round in a box of ammunition are encoded with the same serial number.
  2. Each serial number is encoded in such a manner that it is highly likely to permit identification after ammunition discharge and bullet impact.
  3. The outside of each box of ammunition is labeled with the name of the manufacturer and the same serial number used on the cartridge casings and bases of bullets contained in the box.
(b) Labeling per box.--Ammunition contained in one ammunition box may not be labeled with the same serial number as the ammunition contained in any other ammunition box from the same manufacturer.

Section 302. Duty of owner to dispose of ammunition.
On or before January 1, 2010, an owner of ammunition for use in a regulated firearm that is not encoded by the manufacturer in accordance with section 301 shall dispose of the ammunition.



Information gathered by the vendor includes;
  • Name of buyer
  • DOB of buyer
  • DL# of buyer
  • "... Any other information that the commissioner considers necessary"
Taxation: The encoded ammunition database shall be funded by the encoded ammunition database tax. ( Not here specified ...)

Penalty for Vendor Violation: Misdemeanor 3rd Degree
Penalty for Manufacturer Violation:
1st occurrence - $1,000;
2nd occurrence - $5,000;
3rd occurrence $10,000.

TAX: Five Cents Per Round

Exceptions: LEO, "...any other agency of the United States ..."
Vendor Reporting: Monthly
Effective Date: "60 days"

_________________________________________________

SUMMARY:
It would be difficult to parse a more confusing bill. Since Illinois and California have already submitted the text of their bills, my best guess would be:
(1) Washington, D.C.
(2) Massachusetts.

Watch This Space. The count of states which have proposed similar bills ... the'Gotcha' States ... has moved up from five Six to six Seven.

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