BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
SB 1422 (Anderson) - Handgun safety certificates: fees.
Amended: April 12, 2012 Policy Vote: Public Safety 5-2
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 24, 2012 Consultant: Jolie Onodera
SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill Summary: SB 1422 would reduce the handgun safety
certificate (HSC) fee and the HSC renewal fee for honorably
discharged members of the United States Armed Forces, the
National Guard, the Air National Guard, or the active reserve
components of the United States, as specified.
Fiscal Impact: Annual ongoing loss of Department of Justice
(DOJ) revenue to the Firearms Safety and Enforcement Special
Fund (FSESF) potentially in the range of $150,000 to $750,000,
assuming 30,000 to 150,000 (range of 2 to 10 percent) honorably
discharged members receive or renew a HSC.
Background: Current law provides that no person shall purchase
or receive any handgun, except an antique firearm, without a
valid HSC. Applicants must pass a written test that encompasses
the laws and responsibilities applicable to the carrying,
handling, sale, transfer, and safe storage of firearms, as well
as the risks associated with bringing handguns into the home.
The DOJ develops the HSC to be issued by instructors certified
by the DOJ, to individuals who have complied with specified
requirements. The HSC expires five years after the date of
issuance.
Prior to 2001, all honorably discharged veterans were exempted
from obtaining a Basic Firearms Safety Certificate. SB 52
(Scott) Chapter 942/2001 repealed the Basic Firearms Safety and
Certificate Program and replaced it with the Handgun Safety
Licensing Program which narrowed the exemptions for obtaining a
HSC to honorably retired members of the military.
Proposed Law: This bill would reduce the HSC fee and HSC renewal
fee a certified instructor may charge an honorably discharged
member, as defined, from $25 to $15, and would reduce the amount
of the fee to be paid to the DOJ from $15 to $10.
SB 1422 (Anderson)
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This bill would define "honorably discharged member" as an
honorably discharged member of the United States Armed Forces,
the National Guard, the Air National Guard, or the active
reserve components of the United States, who has received a
United States Department of Defense certificate of release or
discharge from active duty, DD Form 214, indicating a discharge
under honorable conditions.
Related Legislation: SB 404 (Anderson) 2011 would have exempted
honorably discharged members of the military from HSC
requirements. This bill failed passage in the Senate Committee
on Public Safety.
AB 2609 (Anderson) 2010 would have exempted honorably discharged
members, instead of honorably retired members from HSC
requirements. This bill failed passage in the Assembly Committee
on Public Safety.
AB 2152 (Neilson) 2010 would have exempted honorably discharged
members from HSC requirements. This bill failed passage in the
Assembly Committee on Public Safety.
AB 201 (Samuelian) 2004 would have exempted honorably discharged
members from HSC requirements. This bill failed passage in the
Assembly Committee on Public Safety.
AB 2081 (Briggs) 2002 would have exempted honorably discharged
members from HSC requirements. This bill failed passage in the
Assembly Committee on Public Safety.
SB 1615 (Johannessen) 2002 would have exempted honorably
discharged members from HSC requirements. This bill was
introduced but not heard in the Senate Committee on Public
Safety.
SB 52 (Scott) Chapter 942/2001 repealed the Basic Firearms
Safety and Certificate Program and replaced it with the more
stringent Handgun Safety Licensing Program, which narrowed the
exemption for military personnel to include only honorably
retired veterans.
Staff Comments: The provisions of this bill will result in a
SB 1422 (Anderson)
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loss of revenue to the Firearms Safety and Enforcement Special
Fund of $5 per honorably discharged member who receives a new or
renewed HSC. The Department of Veterans Affairs has indicated
there are approximately two million veterans living in
California. It is estimated that the number of honorably
discharged veterans may be in the range of 1.5 million
individuals, and the number of veterans exempted under current
law as "honorably retired" is expected to be minimal.
It is unknown how many honorably discharged members in any one
year receive or renew a HSC. The DOJ indicates the number of
HSCs issued is not tracked as the issuance is handled by
dealers. If two percent (30,000 veterans) of honorably
discharged members receive a new or renewed HSC per year, lost
revenue to the DOJ would be $150,000 (FSESF). If ten percent or
150,000 veterans applied for or renewed their HSCs in any one
year, lost revenue would equate to $750,000 (FSESF). There could
be a minor offset to potential revenue loss to the extent a
number of honorably discharged veterans attain a HSC who
otherwise would not have obtained a HSC under existing law.
However, given the existing fee amount of $25 and the minimal
difference in the proposed fee amount, this impact is estimated
to be minor.
The FSESF had a reserve balance of $5.1 million at the end of
Fiscal Year (FY) 2010-11, which would have increased to $6.7
million in FY 2011-12 in the absence of a loan to the General
Fund of $4.9 million. The FY 2012-13 reserve balance is
projected at nearly $4 million.