(CNN) In the wake of mass shootings around the country, the mayor of one California city wants to require all gun owners to carry liability insurance for their weapons -- or pay a fee to help shoulder the public costs of gun violence.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo proposed the local ordinance on Monday, and if passed by the city council, it could become the nation's first such requirement. Similar state legislation is also being considered in Massachusetts and New York.

The proposal comes just two weeks after a shooting left three people dead and injured more than 12 in Gilroy, California -- about thirty miles away from San Jose.

Offering just "thoughts and prayers" was not enough for the San Jose mayor after two families in his city lost children in the Gilroy shooting.

"While this is far from a complete solution, it is something we can do to reduce the harms of firearms, without waiting for Congress to take action," Mayor Liccardo said in a press release.

Read More