Gun Dealers Must Give Mental Health Info In Anne Arundel County, Court Rules After Lawsuit

This story was last updated Thursday at 4:26 p.m.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Gun dealers in Anne Arundel County must distribute mental health information with each sale, a federal court ruled Tuesday.

This decision upheld a controversial gun law requiring firearm sellers to give customers suicide prevention and conflict resolution literature.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher ruled that the law, known as Bill 108-21, is constitutional after four gun dealers sued the county in April 2022.

These dealers argued that the bill, which was signed into law in January 2022, forced firearm sellers to submit to compelled speech. The sellers ultimately lost their battle in the case Maryland Shall Issue, Inc., et al. v. Anne Arundel County.

Maryland Shall Issue, a gun rights organization, represented these firearm dealers in the case:

• Field Traders LLC, a firearms dealer and manufacturer in Pasadena
• Cindy's Hot Shots, Inc., a shooting range and firearms dealer in Glen Burnie
• Pasadena Arms Inc., a firearms dealer in Pasadena
• Worth-A-Shot Inc., a firearms dealer in Millersville

"The federal district court dismissed our 'compelled speech' case against Anne Arundel County today, holding that the County's ordinance forcing firearms dealers to distribute the County's views on firearms and suicide did not violate the First Amendment," Maryland Shall Issue said Wednesday on its website. "We respectfully disagree with the Court's opinion and will be filing a notice of appeal in due course."

County Executive Steuart Pittman released this statement Thursday after the decision:

"The District Court’s decision ensures our residents have access to valuable suicide prevention and conflict resolution information when they purchase firearms.

Gun violence continues to plague our country and our communities. While the political debate in Washington continues, Anne Arundel County and our Gun Violence Intervention Team will continue implementing common-sense solutions that save lives.

I want to thank Everytown Law and our Office of Law’s legal team for their work on this case, the first of its kind in the country, which could pave the way for other jurisdictions to implement similar legislation. I also want to thank Councilwoman Lisa Rodvien for introducing Bill 108-21, the County Council for their unanimous support, and our Department of Health’s Gun Violence Intervention Team for working to end violence through the exploration of data, good policy, and strong partnerships."

To learn more about the lawsuit, read this Patch story. Check out our first article outlining the specifics of the mental health law.

Former Patch reporter Nikki Gaskins contributed reporting to this story.

Editor's Note: This article previously said the court ruling happened Thursday. That was incorrect. County Executive Steuart Pittman announced the ruling on Thursday, but U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher actually submitted her decision on Tuesday. Patch updated this story to include the correct date. We apologize for our mistake.

Related:

• Anne Arundel County Releases Gun Violence Prevention Plan
• 4 Anne Arundel Gun Dealers Sue County Over New Ordinance
• New Anne Arundel Gun Law Adds Safety Info Requirement For Sellers