History and Successes

Legislative Successes

Because of the advocacy efforts of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition and its partners, certain statutory safeguards are in place, including:

• The minimum age for purchasing a handgun was raised from 16 to 18;

• Judges are authorized to prohibit possession of guns by defendants subject to Temporary Orders for Protection from Abuse;

• Those determined by a Court to be mentally ill are prohibited from purchasing guns;

• Guns are prohibited in Maine courthouses; and,

• Public universities are authorized to regulate guns on campus.

In recent years, as the number of gun deaths surges, our efforts to reduce gun violence in Maine are gaining momentum. Recent victories include legislation that:

• Amends Maine’s child endangerment statutes to include certain unauthorized access to a loaded firearm, its first safe storage legislation.

• Prohibits guns in state correctional facilities and jails.

• Creates a yellow flag law, a process by which police may seek a court order to temporarily take guns ways from those who are a danger to themselves or others.

• Mandates an annual report from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on firearm deaths and injuries across the state, with specific information including whether the incident was intentional, accidental, or a suicide, and the age of the victim. See 2021 and 2020 data.

• Creates a Safe Homes Program administered by the Department of Public Safety, names September Safe Homes Awareness Month and authorizes grants for educational materials to create awareness of the dangers of unsecured firearms and prescription drugs.

MGSC also helped defeat a Stand Your Ground bill which, when enacted in other states has only increased the rate of homicides in those states, and a bill which would allow a loaded gun in a car parked on school property.