BILL NUMBER: SB 1239 CHAPTERED 06/30/06 CHAPTER 52 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 30, 2006 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JUNE 30, 2006 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JUNE 19, 2006 PASSED THE SENATE APRIL 27, 2006 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 17, 2006 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 15, 2006 INTRODUCED BY Senator Hollingsworth FEBRUARY 7, 2006 An act to amend Section 12076 of the Penal Code, relating to firearms. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1239, Hollingsworth Firearms: transactions. Existing law generally regulates the transfer of firearms, including various documents to be completed in connection therewith. Existing law provides for a register that contains personal identifying information regarding the seller and purchaser of the firearm. A copy of that document is available to the seller upon request from the firearms dealer. This bill would authorize copies of the document for the seller or purchaser, and would require firearms dealers to redact personal information regarding the firearm seller from the copy of the document provided to the purchaser, and to redact personal information regarding the purchaser from the copy of the document provided to the seller. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 12076 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 12076. (a) (1) Before January 1, 1998, the Department of Justice shall determine the method by which a dealer shall submit firearm purchaser information to the department and the information shall be in one of the following formats: (A) Submission of the register described in Section 12077. (B) Electronic or telephonic transfer of the information contained in the register described in Section 12077. (2) On or after January 1, 1998, electronic or telephonic transfer, including voice or facsimile transmission, shall be the exclusive means by which purchaser information is transmitted to the department. (3) On or after January 1, 2003, except as permitted by the department, electronic transfer shall be the exclusive means by which information is transmitted to the department. Telephonic transfer shall not be permitted for information regarding sales of any firearms. (b) (1) Where the register is used, the purchaser of any firearm shall be required to present clear evidence of his or her identity and age, as defined in Section 12071, to the dealer, and the dealer shall require him or her to sign his or her current legal name and affix his or her residence address and date of birth to the register in quadruplicate. The salesperson shall affix his or her signature to the register in quadruplicate as a witness to the signature and identification of the purchaser. Any person furnishing a fictitious name or address or knowingly furnishing any incorrect information or knowingly omitting any information required to be provided for the register and any person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. (2) The original of the register shall be retained by the dealer in consecutive order. Each book of 50 originals shall become the permanent register of transactions that shall be retained for not less than three years from the date of the last transaction and shall be available for the inspection of any peace officer, Department of Justice employee designated by the Attorney General, or agent of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives upon the presentation of proper identification, but no information shall be compiled therefrom regarding the purchasers or other transferees of firearms that are not pistols, revolvers, or other firearms capable of being concealed upon the person. (3) Two copies of the original sheet of the register, on the date of the application to purchase, shall be placed in the mail, postage prepaid, and properly addressed to the Department of Justice in Sacramento. (4) If requested, a photocopy of the original shall be provided to the purchaser by the dealer. (5) If the transaction is a private party transfer conducted pursuant to Section 12082, a photocopy of the original shall be provided to the seller or purchaser by the dealer, upon request. The dealer shall redact all of the purchaser's personal information, as required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 12077, from the seller's copy and the seller's personal information from the purchaser's copy. (c) (1) Where the electronic or telephonic transfer of applicant information is used, the purchaser shall be required to present clear evidence of his or her identity and age, as defined in Section 12071, to the dealer, and the dealer shall require him or her to sign his or her current legal name to the record of electronic or telephonic transfer. The salesperson shall affix his or her signature to the record of electronic or telephonic transfer as a witness to the signature and identification of the purchaser. Any person furnishing a fictitious name or address or knowingly furnishing any incorrect information or knowingly omitting any information required to be provided for the electronic or telephonic transfer and any person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. (2) The record of applicant information shall be transmitted to the Department of Justice in Sacramento by electronic or telephonic transfer on the date of the application to purchase. (3) The original of each record of electronic or telephonic transfer shall be retained by the dealer in consecutive order. Each original shall become the permanent record of the transaction that shall be retained for not less than three years from the date of the last transaction and shall be provided for the inspection of any peace officer, Department of Justice employee designated by the Attorney General, or agent of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives upon the presentation of proper identification, but no information shall be compiled therefrom regarding the purchasers or other transferees of firearms that are not pistols, revolvers, or other firearms capable of being concealed upon the person. (4) If requested, a copy of the record of electronic or telephonic transfer shall be provided to the purchaser by the dealer. (5) If the transaction is a private party transfer conducted pursuant to Section 12082, a copy shall be provided to the seller or purchaser by the dealer, upon request. The dealer shall redact all of the purchaser's personal information, as required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 12077, from the seller's copy and the seller's information from the purchaser's copy. (d) (1) The department shall examine its records, as well as those records that it is authorized to request from the State Department of Mental Health pursuant to Section 8104 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, in order to determine if the purchaser is a person described in Section 12021, 12021.1, or subparagraph (A) of paragraph (9) of subdivision (a) of Section 12072 of this code or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) To the extent that funding is available, the Department of Justice may participate in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), as described in subsection (t) of Section 922 of Title 18 of the United States Code, and, if that participation is implemented, shall notify the dealer and the chief of the police department of the city or city and county in which the sale was made, or if the sale was made in a district in which there is no municipal police department, the sheriff of the county in which the sale was made, that the purchaser is a person prohibited from acquiring a firearm under federal law. (3) If the department determines that the purchaser is a person described in Section 12021, 12021.1, or subparagraph (A) of paragraph (9) of subdivision (a) of Section 12072 of this code or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, it shall immediately notify the dealer and the chief of the police department of the city or city and county in which the sale was made, or if the sale was made in a district in which there is no municipal police department, the sheriff of the county in which the sale was made, of that fact. (4) If the department determines that the copies of the register submitted to it pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) contain any blank spaces or inaccurate, illegible, or incomplete information, preventing identification of the purchaser or the pistol, revolver, or other firearm to be purchased, or if any fee required pursuant to subdivision (e) is not submitted by the dealer in conjunction with submission of copies of the register, the department may notify the dealer of that fact. Upon notification by the department, the dealer shall submit corrected copies of the register to the department, or shall submit any fee required pursuant to subdivision (e), or both, as appropriate and, if notification by the department is received by the dealer at any time prior to delivery of the firearm to be purchased, the dealer shall withhold delivery until the conclusion of the waiting period described in Sections 12071 and 12072. (5) If the department determines that the information transmitted to it pursuant to subdivision (c) contains inaccurate or incomplete information preventing identification of the purchaser or the pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person to be purchased, or if the fee required pursuant to subdivision (e) is not transmitted by the dealer in conjunction with transmission of the electronic or telephonic record, the department may notify the dealer of that fact. Upon notification by the department, the dealer shall transmit corrections to the record of electronic or telephonic transfer to the department, or shall transmit any fee required pursuant to subdivision (e), or both, as appropriate, and if notification by the department is received by the dealer at any time prior to delivery of the firearm to be purchased, the dealer shall withhold delivery until the conclusion of the waiting period described in Sections 12071 and 12072. (e) The Department of Justice may require the dealer to charge each firearm purchaser a fee not to exceed fourteen dollars ($14), except that the fee may be increased at a rate not to exceed any increase in the California Consumer Price Index as compiled and reported by the California Department of Industrial Relations. The fee shall be no more than is necessary to fund the following: (1) (A) The department for the cost of furnishing this information. (B) The department for the cost of meeting its obligations under paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 8100 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) Local mental health facilities for state-mandated local costs resulting from the reporting requirements imposed by Section 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (3) The State Department of Mental Health for the costs resulting from the requirements imposed by Section 8104 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (4) Local mental hospitals, sanitariums, and institutions for state-mandated local costs resulting from the reporting requirements imposed by Section 8105 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (5) Local law enforcement agencies for state-mandated local costs resulting from the notification requirements set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 6385 of the Family Code. (6) Local law enforcement agencies for state-mandated local costs resulting from the notification requirements set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 8105 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (7) For the actual costs associated with the electronic or telephonic transfer of information pursuant to subdivision (c). (8) The Department of Food and Agriculture for the costs resulting from the notification provisions set forth in Section 5343.5 of the Food and Agricultural Code. (9) The department for the costs associated with subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 12072. (10) The department for the costs associated with funding Department of Justice firearms-related regulatory and enforcement activities related to the sale, purchase, loan, or transfer of firearms pursuant to this chapter. The fee established pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed the sum of the actual processing costs of the department, the estimated reasonable costs of the local mental health facilities for complying with the reporting requirements imposed by paragraph (2) of this subdivision, the costs of the State Department of Mental Health for complying with the requirements imposed by paragraph (3) of this subdivision, the estimated reasonable costs of local mental hospitals, sanitariums, and institutions for complying with the reporting requirements imposed by paragraph (4) of this subdivision, the estimated reasonable costs of local law enforcement agencies for complying with the notification requirements set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 6385 of the Family Code, the estimated reasonable costs of local law enforcement agencies for complying with the notification requirements set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 8105 of the Welfare and Institutions Code imposed by paragraph (6) of this subdivision, the estimated reasonable costs of the Department of Food and Agriculture for the costs resulting from the notification provisions set forth in Section 5343.5 of the Food and Agricultural Code, the estimated reasonable costs of the department for the costs associated with subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 12072, and the estimated reasonable costs of department firearms-related regulatory and enforcement activities related to the sale, purchase, loan, or transfer of firearms pursuant to this chapter. (f) (1) The Department of Justice may charge a fee sufficient to reimburse it for each of the following but not to exceed fourteen dollars ($14), except that the fee may be increased at a rate not to exceed any increase in the California Consumer Price Index as compiled and reported by the California Department of Industrial Relations: (A) For the actual costs associated with the preparation, sale, processing, and filing of forms or reports required or utilized pursuant to Section 12078. (B) For the actual processing costs associated with the submission of a Dealers' Record of Sale to the department. (C) For the actual costs associated with the preparation, sale, processing, and filing of reports utilized pursuant to subdivision (l) of Section 12078 or paragraph (18) of subdivision (b) of Section 12071, or clause (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 12072, or paragraph (3) of subdivision (f) of Section 12072. (D) For the actual costs associated with the electronic or telephonic transfer of information pursuant to subdivision (c). (2) If the department charges a fee pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subdivision, it shall be charged in the same amount to all categories of transactions that are within that subparagraph. (3) Any costs incurred by the Department of Justice to implement this subdivision shall be reimbursed from fees collected and charged pursuant to this subdivision. No fees shall be charged to the dealer pursuant to subdivision (e) for implementing this subdivision. (g) All money received by the department pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Dealers' Record of Sale Special Account of the General Fund, which is hereby created, to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the department to offset the costs incurred pursuant to this section, paragraph (1) and subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 12072, Sections 12083 and 12099, subdivision (c) of Section 12131, Sections 12234, 12289, and 12289.5, and subdivisions (f) and (g) of Section 12305. (h) Where the electronic or telephonic transfer of applicant information is used, the department shall establish a system to be used for the submission of the fees described in subdivision (e) to the department. (i) (1) Only one fee shall be charged pursuant to this section for a single transaction on the same date for the sale of any number of firearms that are not pistols, revolvers, or other firearms capable of being concealed upon the person or for the taking of possession of those firearms. (2) In a single transaction on the same date for the delivery of any number of firearms that are pistols, revolvers, or other firearms capable of being concealed upon the person, the department shall charge a reduced fee pursuant to this section for the second and subsequent firearms that are part of that transaction. (j) Only one fee shall be charged pursuant to this section for a single transaction on the same date for taking title or possession of any number of firearms pursuant to paragraph (18) of subdivision (b) of Section 12071 or subdivision (c) or (i) of Section 12078. (k) Whenever the Department of Justice acts pursuant to this section as it pertains to firearms other than pistols, revolvers, or other firearms capable of being concealed upon the person, the department's acts or omissions shall be deemed to be discretionary within the meaning of the California Tort Claims Act pursuant to Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code. (l) As used in this section, the following definitions apply: (1) "Purchaser" means the purchaser or transferee of a firearm or a person being loaned a firearm. (2) "Purchase" means the purchase, loan, or transfer of a firearm. (3) "Sale" means the sale, loan, or transfer of a firearm. (4) "Seller" means, if the transaction is being conducted pursuant to Section 12082, the person selling, loaning, or transferring the firearm.