SB240: Dooming the UBC initiative or setting up for it?

Questions have arisen regarding SB 240 the free, voluntary background check bill. Does not ban private sales, but continues the voluntary system of NRS 202.254. SB 240, among other things, only affects private sales by removing the $25 fee for voluntary background checks for private gun sales by mail through the Dept. of Public Safety. It gives immunity to someone who in good faith sells a gun in a private sale without conducting a voluntary background check.

This bill is supported by Bloomberg’s Every Town for Gun Safety who is the behind-the-scenes sponsor of IP2, the background check bill which would ban private sales. John Griffin made the appearance.

A Las Vegas area resident mentioned that he completed the process years ago, which took several days. Additionally, he mentioned that he was one of ten or so people who requested a private sale background check under NRS 202.254. The last one done was in 2010.

The primary sponsor, Senator Roberson, voted against 2013’s SB 221 background check bill that would have banned private sales (thankfully Gov. Sandoval vetoed it). I doubt that he is in support of the so-called ‘universal background checks’ which is merely a phrase to ban private gun sales by forcing all sales through a dealer.

Chairman Brower unfortunately called it “common sense,” perhaps unintentionally using one of the Bloomberg group’s catch phrases.

The full video from the initial hearing.

Senator Ford questioned the voluntary nature of the program. As was confirmed in the hearing, the intent was to remove the current $25 fee to increase voluntary compliance. Ford danced towards mandatory background checks and was shut down by Senator Roberson, inviting him to draft his own bill and referring him to the pending Initiative Petition 2.

Many in the firearms community are wondering if this bill was intended to discourage mandatory private background checks (in light of the upcoming ballot initiative) by making the checks free or if it was intended to get buyers and sellers used to the idea of private sales. Nevada Carry has a question to Senator Roberson pending on the subject, but the intent seems to be to fix reporting loopholes while removing the fee to increase voluntary compliance. An added benefit would be to discount the highly flawed universal background check initiative by counter with free, voluntary checks.

What do you think?