Branstad signs bill to restore gun rights if mental deficiencies healed

Gov. Terry Branstad signed 11 bills into law, including legislation addressing the issue of gun possession for people who have been adjudicated mentally deficient to carry a gun.

Backers say Senate File 456, which sets up a process for affected residents to have their gun ownership rights restored if their situations change, fixes an omission in the “shall issue” law approved last year. The legislation is designed to conform Iowa law with federal requirements that allow people who were subject to disqualifying mental health disorders or judgments to regain their right to possess a firearm in a fair and impartial process.

Supporters say that someone with a head injury who is assigned a conservator or guardian is generally prohibited from owning a gun. Without the changes in SF 456, that person would have no way to regain gun ownership rights once an injury had healed.