BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 683 Page 1 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 Page 2 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 Page 3 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