Washington State Bans Assault Weapons, Dozens Of Semiautomatic Rifles Prohibited

The bill bans the sale, transfer, distribution, manufacture, and importation of 62 gun models it defines as "assault weapons".

Governor of Washington State Jay Inslee has signed the legislation to prohibit dozens of semiautomatic rifles.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the bill bans the sale, transfer, distribution, manufacture, and importation of 62 gun models it defines as “assault weapons”, including AR-15s, AK-47s, and similar high-powered rifles that have been used to carry out the mass shootings across the US.

“These weapons of war, assault weapons, have no reason other than mass murder. Their only purpose is to kill humans as rapidly as possible in large numbers,” said Inslee at the signing ceremony on Tuesday.

The bill took effect immediately upon Inslee’s signature.

Inslee also signed into law two other major gun measures, including a 10-day waiting period for gun purchases and a bill that would hold gunmakers liable for negligent sales.

The three gun bills passed the legislature on largely party-line votes, with Republicans opposing them and most Democrats voting in support, according to a report by The Seattle Times.

The signing ceremony took place in the state Capitol, which was closed to the public on Tuesday morning out of security concerns.

The state of Washington joins nine other states, including California, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, as well as the District of Columbia, which have imposed bans on AR-15s and similar guns, according to the Giffords Law Center.