Major I-1639 Gun Rule Goes Into Effect In January

SEATTLE, WA - A key provision of Washington's sweeping I-1639 gun law goes into effect this week. Starting Jan. 1, the age to buy a semi-automatic assault rifle rises from 18 to 21.

Other I-1639 provisions don't go into effect until July 1. Another major part of the law is the creation of a crime called "community endangerment." If the owner of a gun allows the weapon to fall into the wrong hands - a child for example - and the gun is used to injure, kill, or threaten, the gun owner could face criminal charges.

According to I-1639, an assault rifle is defined as, "Any rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge." So, rifles that are operated by pump or manual bolt action do not fall under that assault rifle definition.

The group behind I-1639, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, has outlined more priorities for 2019. The group wants to restrict access to high-capacity magazines, make child care and early learning centers gun-free zones, and further strengthen background checks, among other priorities.

Shortly after I-1639 passed in November, the NRA and the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation sued to overturn the law. That lawsuit is ongoing.

Image courtesy Seattle police