HB 1776
In CommitteeHouse
Firearm check fee refunds
Providing reimbursement of firearm background check fees.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill requires the Washington State Patrol to refund background check fees collected in November 2024, when the SAFE system was down and could not complete required checks. It applies to both individuals and licensed firearms dealers who paid the fee during the outage.
- Creates the Firearm Fee Liability and Refund Act to formalize the refund process.
- Requires the Washington State Patrol to refund background check fees charged during November 2024, when the SAFE background check system was unable to access court data.
- Refunds are available to both individuals who paid the fee directly and licensed firearms dealers who covered the fee for customers.
- Dealers must provide documentation (e.g., receipts or records) to prove they paid the fee on behalf of a customer.
- Refunds will be issued from the existing state firearms background check system account, not new tax dollars.
Who is affected
- Firearms purchasers — People who paid a fee to conduct a background check when buying or transferring a firearm in November 2024 and were unable to complete the check due to system issues.
- Licensed firearms dealers — Businesses licensed to sell or transfer firearms who paid the background check fee on behalf of customers during the system outage.
- Washington State Patrol — The Washington State Patrol, which administers the background check system and will process refunds using existing funds.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (3)
Individuals and licensed firearms dealers who paid background check fees during the November 2024 system outage — when the state failed to deliver the service — will receive full reimbursement. This corrects a direct financial loss caused by government system failure and restores fairness to those who paid for a service that was not rendered.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 2, line 1–14By ensuring refunds, the bill helps mitigate the risk that some individuals — especially low-income or rural applicants — may have been effectively denied access to lawful firearm ownership due to the system failure, even if they met all legal requirements. This supports equal access to a lawful activity protected by the Second Amendment.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 2, line 12–14Licensed firearms dealers — many of whom operate small, locally owned shops — will be reimbursed for fees they垫 paid on behalf of customers. This prevents small businesses from absorbing a cost they did not incur and avoids potential cash-flow disruptions that could affect staffing or inventory.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 2, line 12–14
Potential Concerns (1)
The bill requires the Washington State Patrol to refund fees already collected and deposited into the state firearms background check system account — effectively returning money that was already budgeted for system operations, maintenance, and upgrades. This creates a direct fiscal strain on the account, potentially reducing funds available for future system improvements or emergency reserves, even though no *new* tax dollars are used.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 2, line 12–14
Who Is Most Affected
Individuals who attempted to buy or transfer a firearm in November 2024 and paid the $102 background check fee (or equivalent) but could not complete the process due to the system outage. They directly benefit from full reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs.
Most licensed firearms dealers in Washington are small businesses (e.g., gun shops, sporting goods stores with firearms licenses). They will be reimbursed for fees垫 paid for customers, avoiding unrecoverable costs and preserving margins. However, the administrative burden of submitting documentation may fall disproportionately on small operations without dedicated finance staff.
The Washington State Patrol will be required to process refunds using existing funds in the firearms account, which may reduce future investment in system upgrades or resilience. While no new appropriation is needed, the agency’s operational flexibility is constrained by the refund obligation.
The state’s general fund is not directly impacted, but the firearms account — funded by user fees — will be depleted. This could indirectly affect future background check capacity or turnaround times if the account lacks reserves for maintenance or upgrades.
Law enforcement agencies that rely on timely background checks (e.g., county sheriff’s offices that assist with appeals or manual checks) may benefit from restored public trust in the system, but gain no direct operational benefit from this bill.