A recent bill signed into law last May 11, created a lot of ruckus and conflict and debate among gun control groups and the National Rifle Association (NRA). The Senate Bill 315 that was passed required that parties to a private gun transfer are to go to a licensed firearms dealer and pay an additional fee on top of the amount charged by the state police for a criminal background check.

Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, won approval on a 38-22 vote from the House aimed at ‘fixing’ the passed bill by making it easier to lend firearms to friends or family. Four Republicans — Reps. Andy Olson of Albany, Vic Gilliam of Silverton, Julie Parrish of West Linn and John Davis of Wilsonville– joined 34 Democrats in voting for the bill.  Rep. Jeff Barker of Aloha was the sole Democrat who voted no.

With the ‘fix’, a firearm owner can lend a gun for a week after calling Oregon State Police to check if the person borrowing the gun is prohibited from possessing a firearm based on a background check. Another wording change in Senate Bill 315 is that now gun owners now face a higher liability if the firearm being lent is used in a crime, and if the lender knew or should have known the gun was going to used illegally.

The ‘fix’ also makes it clear that a gun owner can loan a gun for hunting purposes, without being present, and with Senate Bill 941, the loan of the firearm does not require a background check if lent for hunting or trap shooting purposes. Transfers among family members and law enforcement also do not require the check. The expanded background check and fixes in Senate Bill 941 will take effect on August 9 this year.