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Legislation would ban real-looking imitation guns in Ohio
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
An Ohio House panel has given an initial hearing on legislation that would ban the sale of real-looking imitation guns in the state.
Rep. Bill Patmon, D-Cleveland, said House Bill 119 is needed to help officers responding to incidents involving people brandishing toy guns.
“Police often have to make split-second decisions regarding the validity of a firearm when they are thrust into a situation,” Patmon told the Ohio House’s State Government Committee last week. “When all that differentiates a firearm from an imitation one is a coat of paint or some stickers, let’s take the guesswork out of it.”
He added, “A toy should look like a toy.”
HB 119 would prohibit the sale or manufacture of imitation firearms, with potential misdemeanor charges for those who do so, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Service Commission.
The legislation would exempt certain imitation firearms – historic replicas and some BB guns, for example – plus props used in theatrical productions, military ceremonies or regulated sporting competitions.
Individuals also would be blocked from altering imitation firearms to make them look real or altering real firearms to make them look like toys.
Additionally, HB 119 would require warnings on imitation firearms noting the law changes and cautioning the products could be mistaken by law enforcement for the real thing.
“As a rule, when toys pose safety hazards, we pull them off of the shelves,” Patmon said. “In the case of imitation firearms, the opposite has taken place – we continue to make them more and more lifelike. This increases the chances that they will be mistaken for the real thing.”
The legislation isn’t on a fast track in the Republican-controlled Legislature, however. HB 119’s initial hearing came about 11 months after Patmon introduced the bill.