California: Anti-Gun Bills Advance in Legislature Ahead of Chamber Deadline

Friday, May 24^th marked the deadline for each house to pass bills that were introduced in their respective chamber. The following anti-gun bills received a floor vote ahead of this deadline and are still active in the legislature:  

Senate Bill 53 prohibits firearm possession in the home unless the firearms are stored in a locked box or safe that is approved by the Department of Justice and renders them inaccessible to anyone other than the owner. SB 53 ignores the U.S. Supreme Court decision in D.C v. Heller which argued that storage requirements that prevent gun owners from easily accessing their firearms are unconstitutional. SB 53 passed the Senate on January 29^th and has been transmitted to the Assembly.

Senate Bill 1253, as introduced, would have prohibited an individual in California from possessing a firearm without a valid Firearm Safety Card (FSC). Under current law, an FSC is only required to purchase or receive firearms, not for continuous possession. SB 1253 was amended removing the ongoing FSC requirement and now requires persons bringing firearms into the state to obtain an FSC within 120 days. SB 1253 passed the Senate on May 21^st and has been transmitted to the Assembly.

Assembly Bill 2917 expands upon California’s existing Gun Violence Protective Order to allow the court to also consider “threats” directed towards a group or location when deciding whether to issue the order. If issued, Gun Violence Protective Orders result in a five year firearm prohibition, subject to indefinite renewals. These so-called “red flag” orders deprive citizens of their fundamental rights and property without due process safeguards and a clear evidentiary basis. AB 2917 passed the Assembly on May 22^nd and has been transmitted to the Senate Committee on Rules for assignment.

Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your email inbox for more information on these bills as they continue to advance in the legislature.