Maryland lawmakers pass bill to ban guns and firearms from public college campuses

The Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill Wednesday to ban guns and other deadly weapons on all public college campuses.

Del. Ben Barnes (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) is the lead sponsor of the bill, Weapon-Free Higher Education Zones, which passed in a 84-49 vote.

Public institutions are also required to post signs on their campuses in locations such as near entrances and exists to notify people of the ban, according to the bill.

The bill was first introduced during the state’s 2016 legislative session. It passed in the House in March 2016 but failed to pass through the Senate.

Seventeen states ban carrying a concealed weapon on a college campus, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twenty-four states, including Maryland, allow each college or university to decide whether to allow concealed carry on its respective campus.