The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend various codes as they relate to the weapons proficiency of and the carrying of a handgun by qualified retired law enforcement officers. The bill modifies the applicability of certain unlawful carrying of weapon offenses. The punishment for these offenses could be a Class A misdemeanor or third degree felony depending on the circumstances of the offense.  

A third degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term from 2 to 10 years and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $10,000. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed one year and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $4,000.

Expanding the list of individuals to whom a criminal penalty is not applied is expected to result in fewer demands upon the correctional resources of the counties or of the State due to a decrease in the number of people placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement within state correctional institutions. In fiscal year 2018, 11,569 individuals were arrested, 69 were placed under felony community supervision, and 28 were admitted into state correctional institutions for unlawful carrying of weapon offenses. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources.