BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1989
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 12, 2000

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

               AB 1989 (Dickerson) - As Introduced:  February 18, 2000 

          Policy Committee:                              Public Safety  
          Vote:        5-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill adds two misdemeanor violations to the existing list  
          of misdemeanors that make possession of a gun within 10 years of  
          the misdemeanor conviction a crime, punishable by up to one year  
          in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Specifically, this  
          bill prohibits possession of a gun by any person with a  
          misdemeanor conviction for:

          1)Communicating to a witness to, or a victim of, the crime for  
            which the person was convicted, a credible threat to use force  
            or violence against that person or that person's immediate  
            family.

          2)Threatening to commit a crime that will result in death or  
            great bodily injury to another person, with the intent that  
            the statement is to be taken as a threat.
           
           FISCAL EFFECT
            
           Unknown minor nonreimbursable local costs for incarceration,  
          offset to an indeterminable degree by fine revenue.

           COMMENT

          1)Rationale  . The author contends the proposed offense additions  
            are consistent with current law and will contribute to public  
            safety.

           2)Current law  makes it a misdemeanor to possess a gun within 10  
            years of specified prior misdemeanors, which include various  
            gun offenses, stalking, threatening witnesses with a deadly  








                                                                  AB 1989
                                                                  Page  2

            weapon, assault or battery, certain domestic violence  
            offenses, etc.

            The two misdemeanor offenses added by this bill are chargeable  
            as alternate felony/misdemeanors under current law, which  
            prohibits possession of a gun by any convicted felon. 

           


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916)319-2081