California: 3 Restrictive Anti-Gun Bills Head To Governor Newsom For His Consideration
California: 3 Restrictive Anti-Gun Bills Head To Governor Newsom For His Consideration
Despite the fact that several current California gun laws are being challenged in court, anti-gun Golden State lawmakers are carrying on undaunted.
Lawmakers recently finalized passage of two Senate bills and one Assembly bill, each placing new restrictions on lawful gun owners while doing little to address violent crime. All three have now gone to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration.
According to the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, the most egregious of the three is Senate Bill 948, which, if signed into law, will impose sweeping new firearm training requirements on Californians seeking a Firearm Safety Certificate.
“Senate Bill 948 dramatically expands California’s Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) requirements by mandating a minimum four-hour training course beginning in 2029, including live-fire exercises and state-prescribed classroom instruction,” NRA-ILA wrote in a legislative update. “Criminal misuse of firearms is not the result of insufficient government mandates, yet this bill imposes additional regulatory burdens on law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to address crime.”
Under the enrolled version of the bill, beginning Jan. 1, 2029, applicants for an FSC would have to complete at least four hours of training within the previous year. That training would include classroom instruction covering firearm safety, California gun laws, storage, transportation and self-defense, along with live-fire exercises demonstrating safe handling and basic shooting proficiency.
SB 948 would also impose new requirements on people moving into California with firearms. Beginning Jan. 1, 2028, personal firearm importers would generally be required to obtain an FSC or qualify for an exemption and certify that status to the California Department of Justice.
The other Senate bill sent to the governor is SB 1220, which would add another misdemeanor to California’s list of offenses that trigger a 10-year firearm prohibition.
“Specifically, a person convicted of possessing, selling, transferring, or otherwise dealing with a firearm that has had its identifying marks or serial number altered,” NRA-ILA explained. “While existing law already makes it a misdemeanor to possess or transfer a firearm with such traits, this bill expands California’s ever-growing list of misdemeanor offenses that can result in the loss of constitutional rights.”