DeSaulnier Gun Safety Bills Pass Committee

Two bills, authored by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord), aimed at promoting gun safety passed the Senate Committee on Public Safety yesterday.

“It is critical that we promote safe and responsible gun ownership,” Senator DeSaulnier said. “These bills will help us prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands, and ensure they are only operated by their lawful owners.”

“Requiring gun owners to report their lost or stolen firearms, will help deter gun trafficking and help our law enforcement officers get guns off our streets as quickly as possible. We should make sure that guns are only used by the owners who are authorized to fire them. California should be at the forefront of implementing personalized hand gun technology that will save lives.”

Senator DeSaulnier’s gun safety bills do the following:

• SB 293 would require all newly manufactured or imported handguns in California to be “owner-authorized,” or personalized in a way that would allow them to be fired only by authorized persons. This requirement will take effect eighteen months following the release of a report by the California Attorney General that owner-authorized handguns are available for retail sale and meet stringent performance criteria specified in the bill.
• SB 299 would require that every person whose firearm is lost or stolen must notify local law enforcement within 48 hours of the time they knew, or reasonably should have known, that the firearm had been lost or stolen. If the firearm is subsequently recovered, the local law enforcement agency must be notified within 48 hours of the recovery.

SB 293 and 299 are supported by the California Chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. SB 299 is sponsored by Los Angeles County Sherriff Lee Baca, and supported by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón.

Website of Senator Mark DeSaulnier: http://www.sd07.senate.ca.gov/