A bill that requires domestic abusers subject to a restraining order to give up firearms and that expands weapons restrictions for those convicted of domestic assault or stalking overwhelmingly passed the Minnesota House on Wednesday.

“I know this bill will not save every life, but this is an action that I believe will save lives,” said Rep. Dan Schoen, DFL-St. Paul Park, sponsor of the bill and a police officer in Cottage Grove.

Even die-hard Second Amendment defenders signed on.

“I find myself in a position to actually vote for a bill that has the word ‘gun’ in it,” said Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake. “Domestic violence is not acceptable in any place, particularly in the state of Minnesota.”

“We put as much protection with gun owners as we possibly could and also protect a woman or a man from getting shot and killed,” said Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center, a retired police chief who worked with Schoen on the legislation.

Gun restrictions have had a tough road lately at the Capitol.

Last session, lawmakers filled in some holes in the state’s criminal background check system. But gun-rights advocates fought off bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines as well as any expansion of background checks.

Schoen said the bill, which passed 111-15 in the House and has yet to be voted on in the Senate, is meant to protect victims and police officers without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens.

The bill would bring state statute into line with federal law, Schoen said.

“The whole point of this is so that a police officer in your local community can encounter someone that has a firearm that was convicted of domestic assault and they could now enforce state law that is the same as federal law,” he said. “We’ve clarified that you actually can be charged criminally as an ineligible person to possess a firearm.” The bill extends prohibited weapons from a pistol, under current state law, to all firearms.

Those subject to a protection order in a domestic child abuse or domestic abuse investigation would forfeit possession of their weapons for the duration of the order, which typically is two years, Schoen said. But first they would have the opportunity to make their case before a judge.

Those convicted of domestic assault or stalking would lose their weapons for a time period determined by the court, including potentially for life, based on the severity of the crime.

State law currently allows courts to require those convicted of certain domestic crimes to forfeit their gun for at least three years, and that time provision wouldn’t change, Schoen said. The ban “won’t be a lifetime on a misdemeanor,” he said.

The bill specifies that firearms can be transferred to a law enforcement agency, a federally licensed firearms dealer or a third party who doesn’t live with the offender. The weapons would be returned upon request once the legal prohibition is lifted.

In cases of imminent danger of substantial bodily harm, the courts would order local law enforcement to immediately remove all firearms.

National Rifle Association officials didn’t return phone calls seeking comment on the legislation.

The Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group based in St. Paul, helped write the bill, said Cornish and the group’s president, Andrew Rothman.

Rothman said the bill is imperfect and unnecessary due to existing federal law. But he said it gives prosecutors a tool to know when the law has been broken.

“Since these offenders have had their due process rights protected, I do think they should be accountable,” he said. “I do think convicted wife beaters should be prohibited from possessing firearms.”

Sara Grewing, the St. Paul city attorney, praised the bill and the efforts of Schoen and the Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park. She said victims of domestic violence are six times more likely to be killed if a weapon exists at the home.

“Without a doubt, it’s going to save lives,” Grewing said.

Matt Swenson, a spokesman for Gov. Mark Dayton, said the governor wants to review the final language in the bill before he takes a position.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Doug Belden can be reached at 651-228-5136. Follow him at twitter.com/dbeldenpipress.