Calling all gun owning Nevada foster/adoptive parents


h2ojunkie

New member
I'm looking for fellow firearm owners that currently are or have been foster and/or adoptive parents to speak out at public workshop regarding firearm regulations you must abide by to be a foster/adoptive parent in Nevada.

The current regulations governing foster/adoptive licenses in Nevada does not prevent firearm ownership, however they do prevent the prevent the use of a firearm for self defense in the home, and place unreasonable requirements on carrying for self defense outside the home.

NAC 424.600 Weapons and ammunition. (NRS 424.020) Any weapons, such as firearms, air rifles,
bows, hunting knives or hunting sling shots, shall be unstrung and unloaded at all times when children are in the
home. They shall be stored in locked containers or rooms out of the reach of children or made inoperable.
Ammunition and arrows shall be stored in separate locked containers. Weapons shall not be transported in any
vehicle in which children are riding unless the weapons are made inoperable and inaccessible.
[Welfare Div., Req. for Foster Care § 108.4, 10-7-88, eff. 1-1-89]

The problem with the code as is, the intent is to keep loaded firearms out of the reach of children (that's good) but like everything in government it's not exactly safe or logical in it's current form (that's bad).

The regulation as written does not allow you to keep a loaded firearm for home defense even if it's kept in a bedside gun vault. And while the current regulation as written does not prohibit CCW carry, it does required that every time you get in and out of the car you unload your weapon and make it inoperable. Not very safe or logical to be loading/unloading a firearm every time you get in and out of a vehicle.

Nevada is currently in the process of amending this code for the first time since 1989, and there is a public workshop scheduled for Monday December 16h. This exact NAC regulation is one that will be discussed since they are intending to add an exemption to allow police officers to carry their weapon in the presence of children when on duty.

Link Removed

I'm trying to find any Nevada residents that currently are a foster parent, have been one in the past, or considered being one that would attend the public hearing to speak up about modifying this regulation.

Personally, I'd like to see the regulation written to allow firearms to be locked in a bedside gun vault loaded and add an exception for CCW. (something like firearms must be stored in a locked safe at all time when they are not physically carried on your person)

Most people I know just sign off and "agree" the the NAC and then they store and carry their weapon how they see fit. (a sort of unofficial don't ask, don't tell policy). However, I won't do that. I'm not willing to risk a child being placed in my home, finally having a stable place to live and then being pulled away because someone decides one day they don't like that I carry. It's not fair to that child.

The best outcome is to amend this NAC to something that keeps guns out of the reach of children while still allowing for personal defense use. Some minor common sense changes to the regulation can do that.

The Nevada Firearms Coalition is involved and will be present at the workshop. It's a chance to get on the record about the issue and start a dialogue to affect change.

Anyone that is interested in attending, please send me a PM with your contact or I can send you mine.
 

All off my birth children have grown up around firearms all their lives guess you will have to get someone else other than gun owners to adopt these children, why would I change anything for an adopted child, if I adopted them they are my children.
 
All off my birth children have grown up around firearms all their lives guess you will have to get someone else other than gun owners to adopt these children, why would I change anything for an adopted child, if I adopted them they are my children.

An adopted kid is yours, just like your biological kids... A foster kid, on the other hand, still belongs to the state. If you flat out adopt the kid, then you should be fine.
 
After the public workshop everyone attending was asked to submit their comments and suggestions for code changes for the official record.

I've put together proposed wording changes on the regulation and have submitted them to DCFS for consideration. It's not ideal, but it's the most we can hope for without direct legislative action.

The proposal I came up allows you to keep a gun in the home for self defense as long as it is locked up when you are not carrying it. And if you have a CCW you would be allowed to actually carry your gun instead of being forced to leave it locked up and unloaded at home.

Proposed changes

Black - Current regulation
Red - Deletions
Blue - Additions

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, any weapons, such as firearms, air rifles, bows, hunting knives or hunting sling shots, must be unstrung and unloaded or secured in a manner that makes them inaccessible to children at all times when children are in the home. They must be stored in locked containers or rooms out of the reach of children or made inoperable . Ammunition and arrows must be stored in [separate] locked containers. Weapons must not be transported in any vehicle in which children are riding unless the weapons are made inoperable [and inaccessible] or secured in a manner that makes them inaccessible to children.

2. The provisions of this section do not apply to a law enforcement officer or person issued a permit to carry a concealed firearm pursuant to the provisions of NRS 202.3653 to 202.369 inclusive [who is required to keep a] when the weapon is kept on his or her person if the weapon is maintained as required by subsection 1 whenever the person is not [required to carry] carrying the weapon.

If everyone reading this could send an email to DCFS, just maybe we can get this bad regulation fixed.

I even drafted a sample letter to make it easy. Just copy/paste it into an email, add/edit what you like and click send.

The contact info is included in the sample/draft letter. Please take a couple minutes out of your day to make a difference.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10f50EU1UWB3KUlawfX3tQQZxdkHJG249CpGfMA6mkYI/edit?usp=sharing
 
Can everyone please sign this petition to change the regulation. When you sign it is sent directly to the Deputy Administrator for DCFS. The deadline to submit written comments is April 15th.

https://www.change.org/petitions/help-nevada-foster-parents-protect-their-home-and-family

And please share this on facebook, and with your friend and family and ask them to sign too. We need all the help we can get.

Also, if you want to send a letter directly to the department via email or snail mail, here is a sample letter that you can edit as you see fit. The contact info of where to email the letter is at the top

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VBZnqdtkhEt_EyC6BShyGbYeX386HogEx-3qbByt9Vc/edit?usp=sharing

I got the new copy of the proposed regulation today. DCFS has decided they would amend the gun clause. This time instead of prohibiting anyone from carrying a firearm for self defense, they decided to go the route of letting the elite class (police) carry firearms even when off duty, but exclude those of us in the servant class (everyone else).

subsections 2 and 3 are new

Here is the new proposed regulation:

Sec. 101. NAC 424.600 is hereby amended to read as follows:
424.600
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, any weapons, such as firearms, air rifles, bows, hunting knives or hunting sling shots, must be unstrung and unloaded at all times when children are in the home. They must be stored in locked containers or rooms out of the reach of children or made inoperable. Ammunition and arrows must be stored in separate locked containers. Weapons must not be transported in any vehicle in which children are riding unless the weapons are made inoperable and inaccessible.

2. The provisions of this section do not apply to a law enforcement officer who maintains a holstered weapon on his or her person if the weapon is maintained as required by subsection 1 whenever the person is not carrying the weapon holstered on his or her person.

3. Firearms which are wholly inoperable and solely ornamental are exempt from the requirements of this section relating to the storage of the weapon

So...according to some un-elected officials at the state, the only persons that have the right to defend their family are police. The rest of us are allowed to beg the bad guys for mercy while we wait for 911 to respond.

They will be holding the final hearing on April 11th to adopt these new regulations. That is pretty much the last opportunity to voice opposition.

DATE:
April 11, 2014

TIME:
8:30 am – 11:00 am (or until adjourned)

NORTHERN LOCATION:
CARSON CITY: Nevada Legislative Building ∙ Room 3143
401 S. Carson Street ∙ Carson City, NV 89701

SOUTHERN LOCATION:
LAS VEGAS: Grant Sawyer Building ∙ Room 4412
555 East Washington Avenue ∙ Las Vegas, Nevada

The official notice and proposed regulations below:

Notice of Intent to Act Upon a Regulation.pdf

Public Hearing to Adopt Regulations Agenda.pdf

Proposed Regulations NAC 424 - LCB R110-13.pdf
 
Thanks to everyone that has already signed the petition. We've already passed 30 signatures in just 24 hours, but we still have a long way to go.


Please get involved. We can't make a difference without a lot of support.

It only takes 1 minute to click the link and sign the petition.

Share it with your friends and family, text them a link and ask them to sign, tweet it, Facebook it.

We've already made a difference by getting the law enforcement exemption added back in December. If we can get enough support I believe we can get a CCW exemption added too.

Remember, If you're not part of the solution then you are part of the problem.


Please sign and share this petition to allow CCW permit holders to be foster homes without forfeiting their right to protect their home and family before the April 15th public comment deadline!

http://www.change.org/petitions/help-nevada-foster-parents-protect-their-home-and-family


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I wanted to thank everyone that has been supporting this important cause. Today we broke the 100 signature mark, and in ONLY 4 DAYS! Please keep sharing and asking your friends and family to support this cause.

I also want to give a special thank you to District 4 Assemblywoman Michele Fiore for her support. Tonight she appeared as a guest on the Eye on Nevada Politics radio show on KLAV 1230AM, and asked everyone to come down to the public hearing this Friday to be heard on this issue.

For anyone that would like to attend the public hearing or speak out on this issue, the hearing is this Friday, April 11th from 8:30am-11:00am. You can attend in Las Vegas or Carson City.

CARSON CITY:
Nevada Legislative Building
Room 3143
401 S. Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701

LAS VEGAS:
Grant Sawyer Building
Room 4412
555 East Washington Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada

Here is a link to the official Notice of Public Meeting and the agenda for the meeting.
http://goo.gl/Ie53gS

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
 
With only 2 days left before the April 15th public comment deadline, support to change the regulation that keeps law abiding gun owners from providing a home for foster/adoptive children in need continues to grow.

Much to our surprise, Channel 8 sent a news crew to cover our story at the public hearing Friday. Click here for video and the article from Channel 8.
Link Removed

On April 8th, Michele Fiore spoke about this issue with Eye on Nevada Politics radio as well. The audio from the radio show can be heard at the following link (coverage starts at the 4:48 mark of the audio file).
Link Removed

This is our last chance to make a difference, and tell the Department of Child and Family Services they can no longer deny foster parents the right to protect their home and family.

I ask that everyone who supports lawful gun ownership, and wants to help these children in need find a loving home make one last show of support by re-sharing this petition with your friends, family, facebook, twitter, etc.

http://www.change.org/petitions/help-nevada-foster-parents-protect-their-home-and-family
 

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