A new bill filed by State Rep. Abe Jones in the North Carolina House seeks to clarify firearm storage laws to prevent minors’ unsupervised access and enhance safety, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 643 on April 1 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Clarify Firearm Storage Law.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill clarifies a North Carolina law requiring the safe storage of firearms to protect minors, specifying that it applies to both loaded and unloaded firearms. The bill addresses the ambiguity highlighted by a court case, where the court did not consider an unloaded firearm stored next to ammunition as being “in a condition that the firearm can be discharged.” It holds that anyone who resides with a minor and allows unsupervised access to firearms is guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor if the minor accesses the firearm and uses it unlawfully or dangerously. This act becomes effective Dec. 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Tracy Clark proposed the most bills (16) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Jones graduated from Harvard University in 1974 with an AB and again in 1977 from Harvard Law School with a JD.
Jones, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 38th House district, replacing previous state representative Yvonne Lewis Holley.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abe Jones, Beth Helfrich, Phil Rubin, and Tracy Clark | HB 643 | 04/01/2025 | Clarify Firearm Storage Law. |
| Abe Jones, Allen Buansi, Charles Smith, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 646 | 04/01/2025 | Const. Amend.: Remove Slavery as Punishment. |
| Abe Jones and Jeffrey C. McNeely | HB 585 | 03/31/2025 | Human Trafficking Reporting/Response System. |
| Abe Jones, Julia Greenfield, Marcia Morey, and Renée A. Price | HB 589 | 03/31/2025 | The Second Look Act. |
| Abe Jones, Becky Carney, Robert T. Reives, II, and Shelly Willingham | HB 604 | 03/31/2025 | Rural and Downtown Community Eco. Dev. Grants. |
| Abe Jones, Julia Greenfield, Sarah Crawford, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 467 | 03/20/2025 | Reenact Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. |
| Abe Jones, Robert T. Reives, II, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 446 | 03/18/2025 | Prohibition on Disclosing Booking Photographs. |
| Abe Jones, Charles Smith, Julie von Haefen, and Monika Johnson-Hostler | HB 367 | 03/11/2025 | Provide Rape Kit Status Updates to Victims. |
| Abe Jones, Garland E. Pierce, Hugh Blackwell, and Marcia Morey | HB 335 | 03/06/2025 | Expand Emergency Judge Eligibility. |
| Abe Jones, Marcia Morey, Phil Rubin, and Tim Longest | HB 129 | 02/13/2025 | Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Jud. Elections Act. |
