Coming within the same week another deadly pair of shootings on college campuses, California’s Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill banning concealed weapons from schools and universities, a measure that drew renewed attention after the massacre at an Oregon community college

The legislation, SB707 by Democratic Sen. Lois Wolk of Davis, will prohibit people with concealed weapons permits from carrying firearms on school and college campuses.

People who have concealed carry permits would be allowed to carry firearms within 1,000 feet of a public or private K-12 school, but not on the grounds.

Retired law enforcement officers who are authorized by their former agency to carry concealed weapons would be exempt. Police chiefs and school districts could also set their own concealed weapons policies.

Gun owners’ groups said they would sue to challenge the bill that Brown approved on Saturday.

Interestingly, the legislation also comes at the same time other states — notably Texas — are considering laws that would permit students and teachers to carry concealed weapons into school classes

The legislation also comes eight years after the Virginia Tech massacre led to tighter security at colleges across the U.S.

The Associated Press reported on Saturday that public colleges and universities in more than 40 states have done little to train students how to react to shootings.

The killing of nine people at an Oregon community college occurred on Oct. 1. On Friday, there was more bloodshed, with one person killed and three wounded at an Arizona university.

At some institutions, such as the Colorado School of Mines and Arkansas State University, training on how to respond to an armed intruder has become as much a part of fall orientation as lessons on alcohol abuse. Students hear presentations covering their options, such as running, hiding or fighting back.

Other schools have purely voluntary training. Or they put information on what to do in an emergency on websites, where it can easily be overlooked by students and staff members. Many public college and university systems leave it up to their individual campuses to draw up emergency plans and decide what level of training, if any, to give employees and students.

The 2007 slaughter of 32 people by a student at Virginia Tech prompted Congress to require colleges and universities to adopt procedures for notifying the campus of an immediate threat. Under the law, schools also must publicize their emergency response plans “in a manner designed to reach students and staff.”

Concerning her legislation, Wolk stated that “we took an important step toward making our schools and college campuses safer by closing this major loophole in California law.

“People want action,” she stated. “Big steps or small steps, they want action. SB 707 won’t prevent all campus shootings. But it will make our schools and campuses safer by working to ensure that the only people allowed to carry guns on campuses are law enforcement.”

The California Brady Campaign Chapters also issued a statement lauding Brown for signing the bill into law.

“ We thank Senator Lois Wolk for her leadership on this issue because we know that this new law will save lives,” said Amanda Wilcox, Legislation & Policy chairwoman for the California Chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Hidden, loaded handguns and schools just don’t mix and parents do not want guns in their children’s classrooms. In light of the terrible tragedies on campuses in Oregon, Arizona, and Texas over the last week it is important — now more than ever — for our students to feel and be safe in a learning environment.”

The bill was sponsored in part by the California College and University Police Chiefs Association. It was also supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement and education organizations including the California Police Chiefs Association, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the University of California, California State University, the California School Boards Association, the California School Employees Association, and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.