BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2358
                                                                  Page  1


          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 2358 (De Leon)
          As Introduced  February 19, 2010
          Majority vote 

           PUBLIC SAFETY       5-2         APPROPRIATIONS      10-5         
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Ammiano, Beall, Hill,     |Ayes:|Fuentes,  Ammiano, Coto,  |
          |     |Portantino, Skinner       |     |Davis, Bonnie Lowenthal,  |
          |     |                          |     |Hall, Skinner, Solorio,   |
          |     |                          |     |Torlakson, Hill           |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Hagman, Gilmore           |Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller,   |
          |     |                          |     |Nielsen, Norby            |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 

           SUMMARY  :   Provides that, commencing February 1, 2011, an ammunition  
          vendor shall not provide ammunition purchaser information to any  
          third party without the written consent of the purchaser, and  
          requires that any records no longer required to be maintained be  
          destroyed in a manner that protects the purchaser who is the subject  
          of the record.

          1)Requires that copies of ammunition purchaser information be  
            transmitted to the sheriff or chief of police if required by local  
            law.

          2)Allows records of ammunition purchaser information to be removed  
            from the premises of an ammunition vendor for the purposes of  
            copying or other investigatory purposes by specified law  
            enforcement personnel.

          3)Provides that, commencing February 1, 2011, an ammunition vendor  
            shall provide written notice to the local police chief, or if the  
            vendor is in an unincorporated area, to the county sheriff, of the  
            vendor's intent to conduct business in the jurisdiction, and shall  
            obtain any regulatory or business license required by the  
            jurisdiction for ammunition sellers.

           EXISTING LAW:

           1)Provides, commencing February1, 2011, a vendor of handgun  
            ammunition shall not sell or transfer handgun ammunition without  
            at the time of purchase legibly recording the following  






                                                                  AB 2358
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            information on a form prescribed by the Department of Justice  
            (DOJ):

             a)   The date of the transaction;

             b)   The transferee's driver's license or other identification  
               number and the state in which it was issued;

             c)   The brand, type, and amount of ammunition transferred;

             d)   The purchaser or transferee's signature;

             e)   The name of the salesperson who processed the sale or  
               transaction;

             f)   The right thumbprint of the purchaser or transferee on the  
               prescribed form;

             g)   The purchaser's or transferee's full residential address and  
               telephone number; and,

             h)   The purchaser's or transferee's date of birth.  

          2)Requires, commencing February 1, 2011, the records of the sale or  
            transfer of handgun ammunition shall be maintained on the premises  
            of the vendor for at least five years from the date of the  
            recorded transfer.  

          3)Requires, commencing February 1, 2011, the handgun ammunition  
            vendor's records of sale shall be subject to inspection by  
            specified peace officers engaged in an investigation where the  
            records may be relevant, is seeking information about prohibited  
            persons, or is engaged in ensuring compliance with laws relating  
            to firearms or ammunition.  

          4)Provides, commencing February 1, 2011, the sale or transfer of  
            handgun ammunition may only occur in a face-to-face transaction  
            with the seller or transferor being provided with bona fide  
            evidence of identity from the purchaser.  

          5)Provides that "it shall be unlawful for any licensed importer,  
            licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to  
            sell or deliver - any firearm or ammunition to any individual who  
            the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than  
            18 years of age and, if the firearm or ammunition is other than a  
            shotgun or rifle, or ammunition for a shotgun or rifle, to any  






                                                                  AB 2358
                                                                  Page  3


            individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to  
            believe is less than 21 years of age . . . . "  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee,  
          minor annual nonreimbursable local law enforcement and incarceration  
          costs to the extent a handgun ammunition vendor provides purchaser  
          information to a third party, which is a misdemeanor. 

           COMMENTS  :   According to the author, "Last year, the Governor signed  
          AB 962 into law prohibiting a vendor from selling or furnishing  
          ammunition to any person known to be prohibited from possessing or  
          acquiring ammunition.  The law also requires vendors to record  
          handgun ammunition sales, and makes the records available to law  
          enforcement for the purposes of crosschecking purchasers with  
          prohibited person's databases to help crack down on criminals  
          purchasing ammunition.  The recording requirement would commence  
          February 1, 2011.

          "Purchase logs will be a useful enforcement and investigative tool  
          for law enforcement to use as proven by a City of Sacramento  
          ordinance.  In reviewing their ammunition-purchaser records for  
          2008, the Sacramento Police Department found that over 150  
          prohibited persons purchases ammunition within the year in their  
          city alone.  Given the importance of these records, customer  
          information should only be used for investigatory and enforcement  
          purposes.  These records must be protected from any third party or  
          non-authorized person unless there is written consent of the  
          purchaser.

          "In order to access these records, local law enforcement must know  
          who is selling ammunition.  Without any written notice by an  
          ammunition vendor, local law enforcement would not know where to  
          locate purchase records.  Currently, the statute enacted by AB 962  
          does not clarify that ammunition vendors must provide local law  
          enforcement written notice of their intent to conduct business."

          Please see the policy committee for a full discussion of this bill.

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744  
          FN: 0004096