Latest news with #HB791
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NSSF Praises Montana Gov. Gianforte for Signing Firearm Industry Protections into Law
WASHINGTON, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Montana's Gov. Greg Gianforte is giving firearm industry members more reason to consider the Big Sky State as a home from which to do business. Gov. Gianforte just signed legislation revising the state's public nuisance law and adding protections to keep gun control activists from enacting "lawfare" against firearm and ammunition businesses. Gov. Gianforte signed HB 791 into law on May 8. The law clarifies that the design, manufacturing, selling, labelling or marketing of firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition or its components, are not considered a public nuisance. Additionally, state law preempts local municipal laws and ordinances from overriding state law. Gov. Gianforte's signature on this law will prevent the attempts to skirt the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that has been witnessed in other states. "Governor Gianforte, and Montana's lawmakers, are sending a clear message that gun control lawfare targeted against our industry, which is critical to Montana's economy and the nation's heritage of Second Amendment freedoms, will not be tolerated," said Nephi Cole, NSSF Director of Government Relations – State Affairs. "The firearm industry is grateful for state Representative Anthony Nicastro for shepherding this bill through the legislature and for Governor Gianforte's leadership in signing this important protection into law." Gov. Gianforte has a proven track record of protecting Montana's firearm and ammunition industry. He is a regular SHOT Show® attendee and participant in NSSF's Governors' Forum. Gov. Gianforte recently posted a call to Colorado firearm and ammunition businesses to consider Montana for a new place to do business following Colorado Gov. Jared. Polis signing SB3, a law the bans the bans the manufacturing, distributing, transferring, selling or purchasing of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs), unless a gun purchaser first options a permit-to-purchase the rifle. Recent years have brought big moves – and big economic returns – to Montana with Gov. Gianforte playing an active role. Ultimate Defense Technologies moved from Arizona to Billings, Montana after meeting Gov. Gianforte at SHOT Show 2023 and opened their new firearm safety systems solutions headquarters in September 2024. Olympus Arms celebrated production expansion in Helena, Montana after the company announced an investment of $50 million with plans to add jobs for 60 employees. Brixtel Defense, an ammunition manufacturer, announced their relocation from Virginia to Dawson County in Montana, adding a $125 million investment in and bringing 125 jobs, with plans for a total of 350 jobs. Alpha Loading Systems, an ammunition loading and primer machinery manufacturer, announced in 2023 it was expanding its footprint in western Montana and tripling its workforce. Shield Arms announced an expansion and move into a new $5 million 36,000 square foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Bigfork that will also bring 30 new jobs to its existing 40 employee footprint. About NSSFNSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What is a baby box? Bill passes Florida House, what the law would do
Surrendering newborn babies may become easier if a bill that passed unanimously Thursday in the Florida House becomes law. HB 791, from Rep. Nan Cobb, R-Eustis, would authorize hospitals, EMS stations, and fire stations that are staffed 24 hours per day to use wall-mounted, temperature-controlled containers that safely accept and protect infants while notifying attendants. A similar bill was introduced in the 2023 Legislative Session but never made it out of committee. Last year. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill expanding the state's Safe Haven law to allow parents to anonymously surrender infants up to 30 days after birth without penalty, an increase from the previous seven, and to call 911 for EMS personnel to come get the child if transportation was not available. It also allowed a parent who has just given birth to surrender the child to medical staff at the hospital. Here's how the devices work. In some locations around the country fire stations and hospitals have set up so-called "baby boxes," ventilated, climate-controlled incubators installed in an exterior wall with a locking door where a parent may anonymously and safely walk up and leave their child. An automatic alarm notifies staff inside the building that a baby is in there. There are over 320 baby boxes across 20 states, with more than half of them in Indiana, according to Indiana-based Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The boxes run about $15,000, according to an analysis of the bill, with a $500 annual fee and an estimated $5,000-$7,000 in additional fees depending on location. The bill does not require boxes built by a specific company. Surrended baby in Florida: St. Johns baby wasn't found in a box on side of the road; mother surrendered child Baby boxes have not yet been authorized by the state. A 2023 bill to allow them (SB 870) passed several committees but died after Democrats called it a "vendor bill" since currently only one manufacturer makes them, holds the patent, leases them, and charges a yearly fee. Critics, including the similarly named A Safe Haven for Newborns, said they were costly and ineffective. Nonetheless, there are currently six in the state: Chiefland: Chiefland Fire Department, 16 NE 1st St, Chiefland Crystal River: Citrus County Fire Rescue, 800 N Rock Crusher Rd Newberry: Newberry Fire Station #28, 310 NW 250th St Ocala: MLK First Responder Campus, 505 NW MLK Jr. Ave Marion County Fire and Rescue, 1400 SW 6th Ave Spring Hill: Hernando County Fire Department, 3445 Bob Hartung Ct Ocala was the first Florida city to get a baby box in 2020 and the first to have a baby left there. Sometime around New Year's in 2023, a healthy baby girl was dropped off and later adopted by the firefighter who was on duty at the time. Fire stations and EMS personnel who accept surrendered infants must provide any needed emergency services and then take them to a hospital. If the child was surrendered after birth at the hospital, the mother's name is left off of the birth certificate. If there is evidence of abuse or neglect, the hospital will report it to the statewide central abuse hotline and a criminal investigation will be started. Otherwise, medical staff will contact either a local licensed child-placing agency or the statewide central abuse hotline for placement assistance. Any child surrendered is presumed eligible for Medicaid coverage. The parent is presumed to have given up all claims to the child. Anyone who has surrendered a child may reclaim the infant up until the time a court enters a judgment officially terminating their parental rights. According to the nonprofit A Safe Haven for Newborns, there have been about 480 newborn babies surrendered or abandoned in Florida since the first Save Haven law was passed in 2000 under Gov. Jeb Bush. Roughly 415 infants were surrendered in a safe haven location, the organization said. There were 65 infants abandoned in unsafe places such as public restrooms or dumpsters, the nonprofit said. Only 32 of those babies survived. In 2024, 30 newborns were surrendered and one was abandoned, the report said. So far in 2025, four babies were surrendered. Police in Hollywood, Florida, arrested and charged two people in March last year after a construction worker found an infant dead in a dumpster in January. Last month, a dead baby was found in a trash can near a University of Tampa dorm. Nationwide, 4,835 babies were surrendered from 1999 to 2023, according to the National Safe Haven Alliance. 1,715 were abandoned illegally and only 642 of those survived. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Baby box bill passes Florida House. HB 791 is for infant surrender
