The California Legislature returns from spring recess this week and seven different committees are considering bills that could impact your rights. Please contact the respective Committees and urge the members to OPPOSE the below bills.

On Monday, April 22 in Assembly Revenue & Taxation: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE AB 18.

Assembly Bill 18, sponsored by Assembly Member Marc Levine (D-10), would impose a $25 excise tax on a handgun, semiautomatic rifle or shotgun purchased as new from a retailer. AB 18 also creates the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Firearm Tax Fund, which the new excise tax will fund and the funds will be administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, to award competitive grants for the purpose of violence intervention and prevention.

On Monday, April 22 in Senate Appropriations Committee: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE SB 61 and SB 220.

Senate Bill 61, sponsored by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-25), would expand California’s one handgun a month law to apply to all firearms.

Senate Bill 220, sponsored by Senator Jerry Hill (D-13), would further increase the mandatory storage and security requirements for licensed firearms dealers. California already has some of the strictest laws in the country regarding how dealers must store and secure firearms. This bill simply places more costs and mandates on law-abiding business owners.

On Monday, April 22 in Senate Human Services: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE SB 172.

Senate Bill 172, sponsored by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-25), would expand California's existing storage laws.

On Tuesday, April 23 in Assembly Public Safety: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE AB 61.

Assembly Bill 61, sponsored by Assembly Member Philip Ting (D-19), would expand the list of those eligible to file “gun violence” restraining orders (GVRO) beyond the currently authorized reporters which include immediate family and law enforcement. The new list is expanded to employers, coworkers and employees of a secondary or postsecondary school that the person has attended in the last 6 months. GVRO’s can remove a person’s Second Amendment Rights, not based on criminal convictions or mental adjudications, but based on third party allegations often without due process until weeks after a person’s rights have been suspended.​ AB 61 is up for a vote only, after failing to pass out of committee on February 26th.

On Tuesday, April 23 in Senate Public Safety: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE SB 120 and SB 281.

Senate Bill 120, sponsored by Senator Henry Stern (D-27), would expand the penalties for violations of California's transportation laws, including in vehicles or on a person. The penalties include a 10 year prohibition on firearm ownership and the ability to charge the violations as a misdemeanor or felony.

Senate Bill 281, sponsored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-11), would prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Cow Palace on and after January 1, 2020.

On Wednesday, April 24 in Assembly Appropriations: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE AB 879 and AB 1669.

Assembly Bill 879, sponsored by Assembly Member Mike Gipson (D-64), would require precursor firearms parts to be sold/transferred through a licensed precursor parts dealer in a similar process to the new laws regarding ammunition purchases. It would further create a new crime for transfer of precursor parts without the involvement of a licensed precursor parts dealer to anyone under 21 years of age or prohibited from owning firearms. Precursor parts include items such as unfinished frames and upper receivers.

Assembly Bill 1669, sponsored by Assembly Member Rob Bonta (D-18), would raise the DROS fees paid by consumers when purchasing firearms and to vastly expand the scope of how these monies can be utilized by the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The DROS account at times has generated a massive surplus at times, so much so that tens of millions of dollars have been utilized to fund other DOJ programs including a $24 million dollar loan to the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) just a few short years ago. This legislation appears nothing more than an effort to put more cost constraints on gun owners to foot the bill for the massive cost pressures the legislature has put on DOJ in the recent years including ammunition background checks and long gun registration to name a few.

On Wednesday, April 24 in Assembly Insurance: Click here to contact the Committee and urge them to OPPOSE AB 1602.

Assembly Bill 1602, sponsored by Assembly Member Evan Low (D-7), would limit the ability of insurance companies to provide liability protections for firearm owners beyond loss of property or damage other than commercial policies.

On the Assembly floor:

Assembly Bill 1297, sponsored by Assembly Member Kevin McCarty (D-7), would remove the maximum fee a local authority can charge on the concealed carry permit application. AB 1297 is still eligible for third reading and a final vote in the Assembly at any time.

Assembly Bill 893, sponsored by Assembly Member Todd Gloria (D-78), would prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Del Mar fairgrounds located in the 22nd District Agricultural Association on and after January 1, 2021. AB 893 is still eligible for third reading and a final vote in the Assembly at any time.

Continue to check your inbox and the California Stand and Fight webpage for updates on issues impacting your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage in California.