Here’s a quick update on the status of California gun bills.
FAST FACT: Of the 40 California bills FPC has tracked/taken a position on so far this year, only 3 anti-gun bills remain alive. However, these 3 bills are very dangerous to Second Amendment rights. Please continue to oppose them at every opportunity!
Senate Bill 707 – STRONGLY OPPOSED – SB 707 would expand the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995 (“GFSZA”) to criminalize the carry of handguns for self-defense by law-abiding Californians licensed by their sheriff or police chief to carry (“CCW”). The bill is supported by anti-gun organizations including California College and University Police Chiefs Association (sponsor), Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, Brady Campaign, California Correctional Supervisors Organization, California Narcotics Officers, California Police Chiefs Association, Fraternal Order of Police (California State Lodge), Long Beach Police Officers Association, Los Angeles Police Protective League, Los Angeles County Probation Officers Union, Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association, Peace Officers Research Association, Retired and Disabled Police of America, Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, and Santa Ana Police Officers Association. Next step: Assembly Committee on Public Safety (hearing date 7/14).
Assembly Bill 1134 – STRONGLY OPPOSED – AB 1134 would allow sheriffs to make agreements with and delegate the processing of all carry license (“CCW”) applications to a police chief of a city within the county, making it even harder to apply for and less likely to be issued a CCW. It would also codify the Los Angeles County application policy found to be unlawful in Lu v. Baca. AB 1134 is supported by anti-gun organizations including California State Sheriffs Association (sponsor), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Next step: Senate Committee on Public Safety (hearing date 7/7).
Senate Bill 347 – STRONGLY OPPOSED – SB 347 would expand the number and type of non-violent technical law violations for which otherwise innocent, law-abiding people would be prohibited from possessing or owning firearms for a minimum of ten years. SB 347 was passed out of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety today on a 5-2 vote. SB 347 is supported by anti-gun organizations including Brady Campaign, California State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, Long Beach Police Officers Association, Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association, Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, Santa Ana Police Officers Association, and the Santa Barbara Police Department. Next step: Assembly Committee on Appropriations (hearing date TBD).
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Do You OPPOSE the California Handgun Roster?
If you, like us, believe the California Handgun Roster is nothing short of an unconstitutional gun ban, please help us raise $15,000 before July 15 so we can fight for your Second Amendment gun rights and brief the Ninth Circuit on why it should overturn the law.
FACT: If only 3,000 California gun owners donate just $5 to FPC today — about what you’d pay for a cup of coffee — we can meet our California legal action funding goal for July. (One generous FPC contributor will even match your donations up to $2,500!)
1. Go to firearmspolicy.org/donate
2. Select “Donate to support FPC’s legal, advocacy, and outreach programs”
3. Submit your donation using PayPal or our secure credit card processor
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Assembly Bill 499 – STRONGLY SUPPORT – AB 499 would allow a person with a valid license to carry a handgun to carry a handgun for self-defense while hunting deer with bow and arrow. FPC strongly supports this bill. Next step: Senate Committee on Appropriations (hearing date TBD).
Assembly Bill 267 – STRONGLY SUPPORT – AB 267 would require the court, prior to acceptance of a guilty or no contest plea to a felony offense, to inform the defendant that it may result in prohibitions against owning or possessing a firearm. Next step: on Senate third reading; if passed, it will be sent to Governor Brown.
Assembly Bill 665 – SUPPORT – AB 665 would re-iterate that the state fully occupies the field of the taking and possession of fish and game (e.g., pre-emption). Next step: Senate Committee on Appropriations (hearing date TBD).
Assembly Bill 950 – SUPPORT IF AMENDED – AB 950 would allow a person who is subject to a gun violence restraining order to transfer his or her firearms or ammunition to a licensed firearms dealer for the duration of the prohibition. FPC recommends that the bill be amended to conform California law to the recent Supreme Court decision Henderson v. United States. Next step: Senate Committee on Appropriations (hearing date TBD).
Senate Bill 678 – DEAD – SB 678 would have created a new “smart gun” mandate for DOJ to, among other things, “investigate methods to increase the availability and use of user-authorized firearms in the state.” FPC strongly opposed this measure, and the bill died in the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
Assembly Bill 84 – DEAD – AB 84 contained of a number of provisions that would have required gun owners to submit their DNA to a state database if they were convicted of or plea to a non-violent, technical violation of California’s byzantine gun laws. The measure was strongly opposed by civil rights groups like FPC and ACLU and died in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. AB 1492 (Gatto; co-author Speaker Atkins) was recently “gut and amended” into a DNA collection bill. However, before AB 1492’s introduction, Assembly member Gatto and his staff reached out to FPC and listened to our concerns. We are vert happy to report that Assembly member Gatto and his staff ensured that AB 1492 did not contain the provisions of AB 84 we found objectionable. They deserve much credit for their efforts and consideration.
Senate Bill 456 / Senate Bill 110 – AMENDED – SB 456 (and SB 110, a similar measure) would have created dangerous new laws that could have been used by school officials and law enforcement to criminalize gun owners’ speech and, worse still, force them to pay for law enforcement response costs where there was no “true threat.” However, in response to our opposition and with the cooperation and the hard work of Assembly Committee on Public Safety, these measures have been amended into a form that respects First Amendment principles and ensures that innocent gun owners are not targeted for abuse.
Assembly Bill 527 – HELD OVER – AB 527 would connect DOJ’s APPS database to the DMV database; it would also prohibit DMV from issuing a driver’s license or vehicle registration to someone on the APPS list. FPC strongly opposed this measure. In response to the bill’s opposition, the author held the measure over until 2016 (2-year bill).
A number of other bills have failed legislative deadlines.