Requirement that loaded firearms be stored in locations where persons prohibited from possessing firearms cannot access the firearms

SF 3825 amends Minnesota law to require gun owners to store loaded firearms in locations where children *and* individuals prohibited from owning firearms (such as those with certain criminal records under section 624.713) cannot access them. The bill expands existing storage rules - previously focused only on children - to explicitly include prohibited persons, making it a gross misdemeanor to negligently leave a loaded firearm accessible to either group without proper security. Key provisions clarify that "loaded" includes firearms with ammunition in the chamber or magazine, and define the penalty for failure to secure firearms against access. This directly affects gun owners in households with children or individuals legally barred from firearm possession. The bill is currently in committee review after introduction on February 23, 2026.