#17
                          House of Delegates
                    Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1991

                           February 22, 1989

Dear Colleague:

     Thank you for your interest in House Bill 1118 which was designed
to restrict future sales of assault weapons in Maryland.  We
discovered in our research and throughout the Judiciary Committee
hearing that the bill, in its original form, was too broad.
Therefore, under the guidance of the law enforcement community, we
drafted amendments that would narrow the legislation.

     Specifically, the proposed amendments listed actual assault
weapons which would be restricted and deleted the generic definition.
Further, the amendments explicitly stated that all present gun owners'
weapons would be "grandfathered" so that anyone already owning an
assault weapon at the time this law was enacted would be able to keep
their weapon.  We have attached a copy of these amendments for your
files.

     Unfortunately, these amendments - and, therefore, the bill - were
defeated in the House Judiciary Committee this morning by a vote of 10
to 11.

     However, the problem still needs to be solved.  These weapons are
proliferating at an alarming rate.  For example, in 1986,
approximately 8,100 AK-47's were imported into the United States.  In
1988, that number exploded to over 80,000 and, by next session, twice
that many more will have been imported.

     Presently, there is a similar bill in the Senate that is
scheduled to have a hearing in the Judicial Proceedings Committee on
March 9, and the House Judiciary Committee has already committed to a
summer study of this legislation.  We are confident we will have
action on these terrible weapons within a year, and hope you will
support this effort.

                              Sincerely,

      John Gary                                   Peter Franchot




HB1118

BY: Delegate
(To be offered to the Judiciary Committee)

                   AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL NO. 1118
                       (First Reading File Bill)

AMENDMENT NO.
     On page 1, line 20, strike "(1)"; and on pages 1 and 2, strike
beginning with "(I)" in line 21 on page 1, down through "CARBINE" in
line 19 on page 2, and substitute:

     "(1) ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC FIREARMS OR THEIR COPIES
REGARDLESS OF WHICH COMPANY PRODUCED AND/OR MANUFACTURED THAT FIREARM:

     (I)       UZI 9MM IN ANY FORMAT (MICRO, CARBINE, RIFLE);

     (II)      HECKLER AND KOCH HK 91 A3 (.308 CALIBER); 93-A (.223
               CALIBER;

     (III)     GALIL 5.56MM AND 7.62MM;

     (IV)      FN LAR ASSAULT RIFLE/BATTLE RIFLE IN ANY FORMAT; PARA
               50.63 (.308 CALIBER), PARA 50.64; HB FALO 50.41 (.308 CALIBER);
               OR FN-FAR-HB FALO 50.42;

     (V)       SPRINGFIELD ARMORY SAR-48 (.308 CALIBER) IN ANY FORMAT;

     (VI)      MANDELL TAC-1 CARBINE IN 45 ACP OR 9MM;

     (VII)     COLT AR 15 IN ANY FORMAT;

     (VIII)    FNC .223 CARBINE;

     (IX)      AVTOMAT KALASHNIKOV SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE IN ANY FORMAT;

     (X)       CALICO M 900 9MM ASSAULT RIFLE;

     (XI)      SIG 550/551 ASSAULT RIFLE (.223 CALIBER);

     (XII)     MAC 10-11 IN ANY FORMAT;

     (XIII)    INTRATEC TEC 9 AND TEC 9M;

     (XIV)     COBRAY SWD 9MM IN ANY FORMAT;

     (XV)      FAMAS 5.56MM (.223 CALIBER);

     (XVI)     MOSSBERG MODEL 500 BULLPUP ASSAULT SHOTGUN;

     (XVII)    USAS-12 SEMI-AUTO ASSAULT SHOTGUN;

     (XVIII)   FEATHER CENTERFIRE AT-9 SEMI-AUTO;

     (XIX)     STEYR-AUG-SA SEMI-AUTO (.223 CALIBER);

     (XX)      VALMET M-76 AND M-78 IN ALL FORMATS;

     (XXI)     STERLING MK 6 CARBINE SEMI-AUTO 9 MM;

     (XXII)    BARRETT LIGHT .50 CALIBER SEMI-AUTO;

     (XXIII)   ARGENTINE L.S.R. SEMI-AUTO IN ALL FORMATS;

     (XXIV)    DRAGUNOV SNIPER RIFLE (7.62 X 39MM);

     (XXV)     AP 9 ASSAULT PISTOL;

     (XXVI)    STRIKER 12 ASSAULT SHOTGUN IN ALL FORMATS;

     (XXVII)   THOMPSON ORDNANCE M1 IN ALL FORMATS; AND

     (XXVIII)  RUGER MINI-14 FOLDING STOCK MODEL (.223 CALIBER).

     (2) ANY DETACHABLE MAGAZINE FOR A SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE OR HANDGUN
         WITH A CAPACITY OF 20 ROUNDS OR MORE."


AMENDMENT NO.
     On page 2, line 20, strike "(3)" and substitute "_(B)_"; and on
page 2, strike beginning with "A:" in line 20, down through "(III)" in
line 23; and on page 2, strike beginning with "OR" in line 24 down
through "SUBSECTION" in line 26.


AMENDMENT NO.
     On page 2, line 27, strike "(B)" and substitute "_(C)_"; and on
page 3, line 1, strike "(C)" and substitute _(D)_".


AMENDMENT NO.
     On page 2, line 35, following "PURPOSES." insert:

     "(3)      NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO MAKE
UNLAWFUL THE POSSESSION OF ANY ASSAULT WEAPON IDENTIFIED IN SUBSECTION
(A) BY A PERSON WHO TOOK POSSESSION, PURCHASED, TRANSPORTED INTO THE
STATE OR RECEIVED THE ASSAULT WEAPON PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
THIS ACT.".

End of file

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