BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 683
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Date of Hearing: August 21, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 683 (Block) - As Amended: August 7, 2013
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote:4-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill, effective January 1, 2015, extends the safety
certificate requirement for handguns, including a written or
oral test regarding gun laws and safety issues, to all guns and
requires a safe handling demonstration to take possession of a
long gun. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to adopt regulations
by January 1, 2015 establishing a long-gun safe-handling
demonstration, as specified.
2)Exempts individuals with hunting licenses from the gun safety
certificate requirement when acquiring a gun other than
handguns. This exemption is in addition to the current lengthy
list of exemptions to the handgun safety certificate
requirements, which under this bill would include long guns.
The exemptions include law enforcement and gun dealers.
Exempts individuals with unexpired handgun safety certificates
from the firearm safety certificate requirement when acquiring
only handguns.
3)Extends the $15 fee for handgun safety certification to long
guns.
FISCAL EFFECT
One-time special fund (Firearms Safety and Enforcement Fund)
costs in the range of $400,000 to update the gun safety
certificate program - safety guides, videos, test materials,
etc. - to include long guns costs covered by fee.
SB 683
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COMMENTS
1)Rationale . This bill extends the current requirement to learn
basic safety and laws regarding handguns to long guns. The
author contends gun safety should apply to all guns.
According to the author, "SB 683 is about education and
preventing unintended injuries. Currently anyone age 18 or
older can buy a long gun without having to show that he or she
understands how to safely use and properly store it in the
home. Long guns can be just as dangerous as hand guns. And
long gun laws are just as complicated as hand gun laws. So it
makes sense to establish similar requirements to buy a long
gun as those required to purchase a hand gun.
2)Current law prohibits a dealer, except as specified, from
delivering a handgun unless the person receiving the handgun
presents to the dealer a valid handgun safety certificate.
Makes it a misdemeanor for any person to purchase or receive
any handgun, without a valid safety certificate, or to sell,
deliver, loan, or transfer any handgun to a person who does
not have a valid safety certificate.
Requires the safety certificate applicant to complete and pass
a written test prescribed by DOJ and administered by a
DOJ-certified instructor.
Requires DOJ to develop handgun safety certificates, which
expire 5 years after the date of issue, to be issued by
DOJ-certified instructors.
3)Support includes a lengthy list of gun safety advocate
entities, as well as the CA Medical Association and American
Academy of Pediatrics. According to the Law Center to Prevent
Gun Violence, "SB 683 would require every firearm purchaser to
have a valid Firearm Safety Certificate before buying a
weapon, regardless of whether the firearm to be acquired is a
handgun or a long gun. This expansion reflects the prominent
role that long guns (rifles and shotguns) play in our gun
violence epidemic. For example, of the 26,682 crime guns
entered into the state's Automated Firearm System (AFS)
database in 2009, 11,500 were long guns. Moreover, requiring
long gun owners to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate will
help ensure that all gun owners know how to handle their
weapons safely and understand their responsibilities under
California law."
SB 683
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4)Opposition includes several gun-related entities. According to
the California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees,
"This measure would make the qualification test for a 'firearm
safety certificate' unnecessarily difficult as it will require
detailed knowledge of the many firearm types that a purchaser
doesn't - and may never - own.
5)Amendment regarding the loaning of long guns . Under current
law, there is an exception for a minor possessing a handgun
safety certificate when a handgun is temporarily loaned for
the purpose of the minor engaging in lawful, recreational
sport (such as competitive shooting) or other specified
activities. The author has indicated a desire to extend this
exception to long guns.
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081