BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       


           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 719|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                         |
          |1020 N Street, Suite 524          |                         |
          |(916) 445-6614         Fax: (916) |                         |
          |327-4478                          |                         |
           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
           
                                        
                                 THIRD READING
                                        

          Bill No:  AB 719
          Author:   Briggs (R)
          Amended:  1/14/00 in Assembly
          Vote:     21

            
           SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE  :  5-0, 5/16/00
          AYES:  Vasconcellos, Burton, McPherson, Polanco, Rainey
          NOT VOTING:  Johnston

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  74-0, 1/20/00 - See last page for vote
           

          SUBJECT  :    Licenses to carry concealed weapons

           SOURCE  :     Author

           
           DIGEST  :    This bill exempts persons certified as trainers  
          for the specified course of training for persons issued a  
          concealed weapons permit from the requirement of completing  
          a specified course of training for purposes of renewing a  
          license to carry a concealed firearm.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law provides the following regarding  
          the issuance of a license to carry concealable firearms in  
          public:

          1.A county sheriff and police chief may issue a license to  
            carry a concealed weapon to a resident-or person who  
            spends a substantial period of time at his or her place  
            of employment in the particular jurisdiction, as  
            specified-if he or she has:

                                                           CONTINUED





                                                                AB 719
                                                                Page  
          2

             A.    Good moral character.

             B.    Completed a course of firearm training.

             C.    Demonstrated good cause for the issuance of the  
                license.

          2.A new license applicant must show completion of an  
            approved training course that includes instruction on  
            firearm safety and the law regarding the permissible use  
            of a firearm.

          3.A training course may not exceed 16 hours; however, the  
            licensing authority may require a community college  
            course certified by the Commission on Peace Officer  
            Standards and Training up to a maximum of 24 hours, but  
            only if required uniformly of all license applicants  
            without exception.

          4.A concealed weapon license is valid for up to two years,  
            three years for judicial officers, or four years in the  
            case of a reserve or auxiliary peace officer.

          5.A license may include any reasonable restrictions or  
            conditions that the issuing authority deems warranted,  
            including restrictions as to the time, place, manner, and  
            circumstances under which the person may carry a firearm  
            capable of being concealed upon the person.

          6.License renewal applicants must show completion of an  
            approved training course of not less than four hours that  
            includes instruction on firearm safety and the law  
            regarding the permissible use of a firearm.

          This bill provides that no course of training shall be  
          required for any person certified by the licensing  
          authority as a firearms trainer in order for that person to  
          renew a license to carry a concealed weapon in public.

           Prior Legislation

          AB 2022 (Wright), Chapter 910, Statutes of 1998  .  Passed  
          the Senate Floor with a vote of 21-7 (NOES:  Burton,  
          Hayden, Hughes, Johnston, Rosenthal, Sher, Watson).







                                                                AB 719
                                                                Page  
          3


           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/23/00)

          California State Sheriffs' Association
          Sheriff, San Bernardino County

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The author's office has provided  
          the following background about this bill:

          "AB 719 is a simple, common sense bill that closes a  
          loophole in the process created by AB 2022 (1998) to train  
          those who carry concealed weapon permits.

          "Currently, all concealed weapon permit holders must  
          certify that they have completed an authorized training  
          course in gun safety in order to renew their license.  This  
          bill would not change that.

          "However, included in this statute are certified trainers  
          who are licensed by local sheriffs and spend their entire  
          day training others in gun safety and use.

          "This bill would exempt gun trainers from the training  
          requirement, as logic would dictate.  Local sheriffs are  
          empowered to determine which local trainers are certified  
          to offer the training course, so they would retain  
          oversight of the local trainers.  For that reason, the  
          California State Sheriffs' Association supports AB 719.   
          There is no opposition."


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Aanestad, Ackerman, Alquist, Ashburn, Baldwin,  
            Bates, Battin, Baugh, Bock, Briggs, Calderon, Campbell,  
            Cardenas, Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Cox,  
            Cunneen, Davis, Dickerson, Ducheny, Dutra, Firebaugh,  
            Florez, Frusetta, Granlund, Havice, Hertzberg, Honda,  
            House, Jackson, Kaloogian, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Leach,  
            Lempert, Longville, Lowenthal, Machado, Maddox,  
            Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Migden, Nakano,  
            Olberg, Oller, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Papan,  







                                                                AB 719
                                                                Page  
          4

            Pescetti, Reyes, Romero, Runner, Scott, Soto, Steinberg,  
            Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thompson, Thomson, Torlakson,  
            Vincent, Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, Wildman,  
            Wright, Zettel, Villaraigosa
          NOT VOTING:  Aroner, Brewer, Floyd, Gallegos, Leonard,  
            Shelley


          RJG:cm  5/23/00   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

                                ****  END  ****