By Jacob Rueda
In its final moments, the Utah Legislature is racing against the clock on gun legislation. So far, some bills have failed to pass, while others are still working their way through the legislature. A total of 12 bills and amendments were introduced into the legislature this year.
“I think most of what’s coming around are iterations of things we’ve seen in the past,” said Nancy Halden, communications director for the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah (GVPC)— a statewide nonprofit organization that works with legislators to advocate against gun violence.
The latest round of gun legislation addressed issues ranging from training school personnel in gun safety (HB 40) to laws concerning firearm attachments (HB 387). The GVPC held a meeting early in the session at the State Capitol to address the upcoming legislation.
“We have a little meeting where we discuss the bills that we think are good, that we would like to see passed, and that could impact our gun violence rates in a positive way, [where we] could see those rates going down,” Halden said.
“We also talk about the bills that we have concerns about, the bills that we think will increase gun violence in Utah and are not going to help our situation there,” she said.
The meeting, which featured Rep. Gay Linn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights, as a guest speaker, also provided ways for meeting goers to engage with lawmakers about gun legislation. One participant said she found the information helpful.
“I’ve always felt like we need to have some measures in place to prevent gun violence,” Diane Pabst said after the meeting. She also said she learned about the specifics of the legislation and what she could do to be an advocate.
Pabst expressed concern for the safety of her family, particularly her son-in-law, who is a police officer. Gun violence is something that police are exposed to daily, and protecting police officers is essential for ensuring their safety and the safety of the communities they serve.
“He watches situations where he sees the results of gun violence and where he is threatened by gun violence,” she said, “He is very aware that we need to take steps to keep people safe and keep him and his colleagues safe.”
HOUSE BILL 133: CONTROVERSY OVER ACCESS
The most controversial gun legislation this year was an amendment to HB 133, known as the "Dangerous Weapons Amendment."
The 200-page long bill clarifies Utah's firearm laws while expanding provisions and updating restrictions on open carry and concealed carry in the state, particularly among individuals aged 18 to 20.
Halden called HB 133 “a really bad law,” expressing concern that granting broader public access to this age group decreases public safety.
“They're too young,” she said, “Their brains aren't fully wired, they have poor impulse control, and they're more prone to aggression. Having a bullet in the chamber just makes that accident more likely to happen.”
One provision of HB 133 states that a person cannot carry a firearm on the property of an owner who expressly prohibits firearms. There are also restrictions for carrying firearms in schools and daycares, airports, and other secure or prohibited areas.
Despite the restrictions, the amendment does not indicate any sort of regular or scheduled firearm training for that age group. That has some licensed firearm owners concerned, at least to an extent.
“I have mixed feelings on some of it,” said Andrew Metz, a 42-year-old hunter and long-time gun enthusiast from West Valley City. Although he supports the rights of individuals to legally carry a firearm, including 18 to 20 year olds, he does believe there should be some discretion as to who among them should be able to carry.
“This amendment seems to give a lot more firearm freedoms to 18-year-olds, which again I'm not opposed to,” Metz said, “But I'm also thinking that there needs to be some form of training or class or something to make sure that people understand the laws that are involved in it.”
Metz also said that maturity levels among that age group vary, which could affect their attitudes toward firearms and how they use them. He re-emphasized the need for training.
“I think maybe some kind of mandatory online course, if nothing else,” Metz said. The training could help them determine when the use of force is absolutely necessary, rather than making random and impulsive decisions to use force.
Although HB 133 was controversial and garnered support from gun rights organizations in Utah, the amendment ultimately failed in the State Senate.
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM?
HB 132, a safe storage measure introduced by Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, is supported by the GVPC. It is the third time the legislation has been introduced. Halden from the GVPC said safe storage laws work because states that passed them have lower gun violence rates.
The legislation holds adults accountable for securely storing firearms to prevent minors from accessing them. It also provides a framework for prosecution while also allowing for defenses and exceptions under certain circumstances.
The Utah Sports Shooting Council (USSC), a gun rights organization in the state chaired by Clark Aposhian, opposes the legislation. On their website, it called the legislation “a convoluted and weasel worded anti-gun bill” that does not address gun safety and “punishes gun owners.”
Despite the USSC’s opposition to the legislation, gun enthusiast Andrew Metz feels differently.
“I'm not 100% against it,” he said. Although Metz, who owns a Liberty gun safe with a digital lock and turnstile, recognizes both sides of the debate regarding safe storage legislation, he said some storage devices are not “impenetrable” and could still allow anyone unauthorized access to a firearm.
“Just because you have a cable lock on your firearm doesn't mean it can't be cut off,” he said, “Does it take more effort? Absolutely, but it doesn't mean that it’s unable to be done.”
In the end, HB 132 failed to make it out of committee, but it is likely that the bill will be introduced back into the legislature next year.
THE SUPERMAJORITY AND THE MISCONCEPTION
Utah is a largely Republican, or “red” state, which symbolically means that the state leans conservative on any number of issues. Gun ownership is considered a conservative issue, which makes it possible for lobbies like the USSC to have sway on Republican politicians in the state.
USSC chairman Aposhian has faced legal issues in the past, including allegations of stalking and making threats against his ex-wife's husband. These controversies raise questions about the leadership of the organization and its influence on gun legislation in Utah.
Because Republican votes outnumber Democratic ones in the Utah Legislature, Republicans hold a "supermajority," which allows them to pass legislation without needing support from the minority party.
During the meeting in early February at the State Capitol, Halden stated that the supermajority makes it difficult to work with them on introducing new ideas.
“As long as there is a supermajority, there is no conversation,” she said, “They have all the power.”
Halden has criticized the USSC in the past for influencing Republican lawmakers. Nevertheless, she notes the GVPC has gun owners in their ranks, and legislation that they supported has previously been signed into law.
The failure of HB 133 in the State Senate shows that even legislation that seems favorable to the gun lobby can still fail to gain traction.
Likewise, amendments like HB 40, which is supported by both the GVPC and the USSC, being considered in the Senate shows that there is a potential for both sides to agree on certain gun legislation.
Still, Halden said that the idea that organizations like the GVPC are out to take people’s guns away through legislation is misleading.
“This idea that ‘we're coming for your guns’ is an idea that is pushed by the gun lobby and by the pro-gun organizations,” Halden said back in 2024, “It [is there] to inspire fear and, quite frankly, to sell more guns.”
Ultimately, Halden said the goal of the GVPC is to promote gun safety, not take people’s guns away.
LEGISLATION: WHAT PASSED AND WHAT DIDN’T
Here is the final status of each of the twelve bills and amendments introduced during the 2025 Utah legislative session.
HB 40: School Safety Amendments- Passed.
HB 132: Firearm Storage Requirements- Failed.
HB 133: Dangerous Weapons Amendments- Failed.
HB 143: Firearm Safety Incentives- Senate Rules Committee (More than likely failed).
HB 187: Imitation Firearm Amendments- Failed.
HB 195: Firearm Retention Amendments- Passed.
HB 221: Burglary Amendments- Failed.
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