Missouri Policy Spotlight: Firearms
By: Dr. Jill Barnas
In Missouri, laws pertaining to firearms are often discussed during each legislative session. During the 2022 regular legislative session, more than 40 bills pertaining to firearms were filed. Examples of these types of bills include modified parameters to concealed carry (HB 1462) and providing schools the authority to designate an individual to carry a firearm (HB 1481).
Last month, the U.S. Congress passed and President Biden signed bipartisan gun legislation into law after it was introduced in response to a mass shooting a school in Uvalde, Texas. The bill contains many firearm-related provisions, including requiring review of criminal and mental health history for anyone under the age of 21 who wishes to acquire a gun. It also provides funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives and introduces penalties for “straw purchasers” who provide guns to those who would otherwise be ineligible to buy them. Finally, the bill provides a structure for revoking firearm ownership rights for those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners (referred to as closing the “boyfriend loophole”, as this rule previously only applied to married spouses).
MOST Policy Initiative provides information about secure firearm storage.
This year, MOST Policy Initiative published a Science Note about secure firearm storage for the Missouri General Assembly. Secure firearm storage refers to the use of a safe, gun safe, gun case, lock box, or similar device that is designed to safely secure a firearm to prevent unintentional gun-related accidents, suicide, and theft.
Firearms are one of the leading causes of death for children under 18 years of age in the United States. Unintended firearm injury and deaths occur when an individual, typically a child, finds an unsecured firearm and unintentionally discharges the firearm at themselves or another person.
Research Highlight: In 2019, 71 firearm-related child deaths occurred in Missouri with 8 deaths (or 11%) from unintentional firearm injuries.
Most of these incidences involve circumstances where an individual was playing with a firearm or believing the firearm was unloaded. Research indicates that states with the lowest rates of unintentional injury and death have negligence-specific firearm access and storage laws.
Suicide is a significant factor driving gun deaths in the United States. Legislation that limits access and exposure to handguns (including waiting periods, background checks, open carry restrictions, and storage requirements) has been associated with lower suicide rates and lower suicide rates by firearms.
Research Highlight: Suicides account for approximately 55% of all firearm deaths in Missouri — the 11th highest firearm suicide rate in the United States.
The majority of firearm thefts occur in residential burglaries both at home and from vehicles. Research suggests that owning numerous firearms, owning firearms for protection, carrying firearms, and storing firearms unsafely increase the risk of having firearms stolen. It also indicates that secure firearm storage can reduce the number of guns stolen and reduce firearm-related injury and mortality.
Research Highlight: Between 2012 and 2017, it has been estimated that approximately 51,500 guns have been stolen in Missouri, with 1,180 firearms stolen directly from firearms retailers.
Want to learn more about the research behind public safety policy? Visit our entire collection of public safety Notes in our Science Note Database.
