Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola successfully enacted common-sense gun safety legislation that limited the firepower capabilities of deadly weapons in the First State.
Senate Bill 6 (S) outlawed the sale of large-capacity magazines capable of holding more than 17 rounds, set elevated penalties for the use of illegal magazines in the commission of a crime, and created a buyback program to recover large-capacity magazines already in circulation.
Passage of Senate Bill 6 (S) followed mounting evidence that the expired 10-year federal ban on large-capacity magazines had helped to reduce gun violence and save lives, particularly in police standoffs and mass shooting incidents.
Large-capacity magazines were used in all 10 of the deadliest mass shootings over the last decade, while mass shootings that involved large-capacity magazines resulted in twice as many fatalities as those that do not, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
A 2018 study also found that nearly 40% of guns used to commit serious violent crimes – including the murder of law enforcement officers – were equipped with large-capacity magazines.
At least nine states and the District of Columbia also have enacted laws banning large-capacity magazines, including New York, New Jersey, and Maryland – all of which set their cap on magazine capacity at 10 rounds.
Senate Bill 6 (S) was one of six bills included in an historic gun-safety package signed into law by Governor John Carney in the weeks after gunmen murdered more than 30 children and adults in mass shootings at a Texas elementary school and a Buffalo supermarket.
