BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          SB 678 (Hill) - User-authorized firearms
          
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          |Version: April 20, 2015         |Policy Vote: PUB. S. 5 - 2      |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date: May 11, 2015      |Consultant: Jolie Onodera       |
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          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.




          Bill  
          Summary:  SB 678 would require the Department of Justice (DOJ)  
          to convene a workgroup and prepare a report to the Legislature  
          on user-authorized firearms, as specified.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  One-time costs to DOJ potentially in excess of $250,000  
          (General Fund) to convene the workgroup, compile, and submit the  
          mandated report.


          Background:  The development of user-authorized handguns or "smart guns" is  
          currently under way both nationally and abroad. Researchers are  
          seeking to develop features to prevent unauthorized or  
          accidental use by any person other than an authorized user  
          through various means such as biometric recognition technology,  
          which is used to verify a person's identity in order to prevent  







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          unauthorized access. 
          Legislative efforts promoting user-authorized handguns have been  
          pursued over many years in several states, as well as in  
          Congress. In 2002, New Jersey became the first state to enact  
          "smart gun" legislation that would eventually require new  
          handguns to contain a mechanism that would allow only their  
          owners to fire them. 


          Proposed Law:  
           This bill would require the DOJ to do the following:
           (1)Survey the state of the current user-authorized firearm  
             industry. 
           (2)Assess market conditions and the barriers to the market for  
             user-authorized firearms in the state.
           (3)Investigate methods to increase the availability and use of  
             user-authorized firearms in the state.
           (4)Make recommendations on manufacturer performance and  
             reliability standards and how those standards should be  
             tested for user-authorized firearms.

          This bill would require the DOJ to convene a working group, with  
          specified representatives, in 2016 to provide recommendations on  
          requirements (1) through (4) noted above.


           This bill requires the DOJ to report its findings to the  
          Legislature on or before January 1, 2017.


          Prior  
          Legislation:  SB 293 (DeSaulnier) 2013 would have defined  
          owner-authorized handguns (or "smart guns") and provided that if  
          and when two owner-authorized handguns are placed on the DOJ  
          roster of not unsafe handguns, two years from the date the  
          second handgun was placed on the roster, DOJ shall not place a  
          handgun on the roster that is not an owner-authorized handgun.  
          This bill was held on the Suspense File of the Assembly  
          Committee on Appropriations.
          SB 697 (DeSaulnier) 2009 was substantially similar to SB 293.  
          This bill was referred to but not heard in the Senate Committee  
          on Public Safety. 

          AB 2235 (DeSaulnier) 2008 was substantially similar to SB 293.  








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          This bill was held on the Suspense File of this committee.




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