HONOLULU — According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Hawaii has the second-fewest gun deaths per capita at 4.8 per 100,000, just behind Massachusetts (3.4 per 100,000) and far below the national average of 11.9 per 100,000.

With the enactment of two new firearms-related measures on Friday, Gov. Josh Green said he sees no reason why the state can’t improve that ranking.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov Josh Green signed into law Senate Bill 1230, the state’s much-anticipated response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling on concealed carry firearms permitting, and House Bill 1329, which mandates the development and implementation of active-shooter training in all public and charter schools

  • SB 1230 prohibits firearms in designated “sensitive places,” including schools and other places frequented by children, government buildings, medical facilities, polling places, bars or restaurants that serve alcohol and other public spaces

  • The measure also establishes rigorous conditions under which concealed carry is permissible

  • State Senate Vice President Michelle Kidani said HB 1329 would ultimately make the community safer by providing the training necessary to mitigate the danger of an active-shooter situation

“On average, someone in Hawaii is killed with a gun every week—about 55 people a year,” Green said. “Really, one death or injury is too much for us ever to experience. So what you’re going to see today is us moving from the state with the second lowest rate of gun violence in the country to, we hope, the state with the lowest rate of gun violence in the country.

“People ask why we would take such deliberative action when we’re already in a position better than almost every other state,” he continued. “Because why would you ever let one child be hurt, one family member be hurt?”

With legislators, gun-control activists and students looking on, the governor signed into law Senate Bill 1230, the state’s much-anticipated response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling on concealed carry firearms permitting, and House Bill 1329, which mandates the development and implementation of active-shooter training in all public and charter schools.

SB 1230 prohibits firearms in designated “sensitive places,” including schools and other places frequented by children, government buildings, medical facilities, polling places, bars or restaurants that serve alcohol,  stadiums, movie theaters, concert halls, beaches, playgrounds, parks and numerous other public spaces.

The measure also establishes rigorous conditions under which concealed carry is permissible. For example, gun owners cannot carry a concealed firearm without also possessing and disclosing (when required) a license to carry. They cannot consume or be under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances while carrying a firearm and cannot leave an unsecured firearm in a vehicle unattended. They also cannot carry or possess firearms on certain private property without express authorization.

SB 1230 was introduced after last year’s U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which struck down New York’s 110-year-old Sullivan Act requiring applicants for concealed carry firearms licenses to show proper cause.

Hawaii, home to some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, was one of seven states that had a “may issue” concealed carry law, which allowed the state to ask applicants to justify their request to carry a concealed firearm and deny applications based on a broad set of standards.

Prior to the Bruen decision, concealed carry permits in Hawaii were approved only for applicants who could show “exceptional” circumstances and/or a “reason to fear injury.” That effectively limited permits to qualified active and retired law enforcement officers. Without that provision, anyone who passes the requisite background check can now obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm in public.

“Hawaii had to take action in order to establish a concealed carry weapon license system and that’s what we’ve done through Senate Bill 1230,” said state Rep. David Tarnas, who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs. “We think that it’s fair and reasonable.”

Tarnas said lawmakers worked closely with the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, Second Amendment advocates and individual gun owners to make sure the legislation was “carefully crafted to ensure that it is consistent with the Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment and allows for the establishment of a fair system of regulation for concealed carry of weapons in the state of Hawaii.”

Deputy solicitor general Nick McLean of the state Department of the Attorney General said the new law “will reduce the risk of gun violence in our communities by strengthening the state’s firearms laws and by establishing reasonable safeguards.”

Speaking on behalf of Everytown for Gun Safety, Chris Martin said the new law “sets a standard for other states who are dealing with this same ruin decision and maybe states in the future who can strengthen their concealed carry laws.”

State Senate Vice President Michelle Kidani noted that signings were taking place on National Gun Violence Day and called for those gathered to “reflect and be horrified” by the broader issue of gun violence in America.

Kidani said HB 1329 would ultimately make the community safer by providing the training necessary to mitigate the danger of an active-shooter situation.

“This comprehensive training program will equip our educators, students and law enforcement agencies with the necessary tools knowledge and skills to respond effectively to the shooter situation that God help us never happens,” she said.