2026 - BFA in the News

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Feb. 17, 2026

NBC4i Columbus - Bill would allow alternative storage for guns during mental health crisis

According to the Centers for Disease Control, firearms are the most common method by which people in the United States die by suicide.

A bill under consideration in the Ohio House of Representatives attempts to address that problem by expanding the options for gun owners to safely store their weapons outside the home if they or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Senate Bill 273, introduced by Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield), would allow gun owners to temporarily store their firearms with licensed firearm dealers and law enforcement agencies. The bill would make the process anonymous and would also protect dealers who agree to store such firearms from civil liability. …

H.B. 273 had its first hearing in the House of Representatives Tuesday morning after being passed unanimously by the Ohio Senate in November, and has earned the support of both gun rights and gun control advocates. …

According to Jim Samuel, Legislative Affairs Director for the Buckeye Firearms Association, “the gist of the language comes from, really, firearms retailers themselves.”

“We all want to be supportive of good efforts, especially ones that don’t infringe on somebody’s Second Amendment rights,” Samuel said. “There are gun retailers who have wanted to provide this service, perhaps some of them are, but more of them would be interested in doing it if they knew they had the legal protections.”