Ohio Republican Pushes Bill Requiring Co-signers for Gun Purchases

Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan (R) is pushing legislation that requires gun buyers under the age of 21 to get a co-signer age 25 or above.

The bill, SB 357, does not apply to the purchase of single shot rifles or shotguns.

The Journal-News notes Dolan’s announcement of the bill made clear “the co-signer can be held civilly liable if that purchased firearm is used or brandished during the commission of a felony offense while the buyer is under the age of 21.”

SB 357 “creates a seller’s protection certificate for private gun sales.” This would mean that private gun sales would “require the purchaser to receive written clearance from a county sheriff confirming no legal disability is present.”  (An exemption for private sale requirements would be made for family members selling to family members.)

The bill also contains a red flag law.

Dolan noted:

SB 357 will protect the public by helping those believed to be a danger to themselves or others due to a severe mental health condition and will develop a process to retrieve firearms from those legally prohibited from possessing them. In cases where there is evidence that guns are accessible to an individual deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others because of a severe mental health condition, this bill will allow the probate judge to issue a safety protection order directing local law enforcement to retrieve and temporarily hold the firearms.

Democrat gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley praised Dolan’s bill, saying, “This bill is a good first step towards tackling gun violence in Ohio.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.