California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a comprehensive package of bills aimed at preventing gun violence and strengthening the state's gun safety leadership, his office announced Sunday.
Taken together, the bills address multiple stages of firearm-violence prevention: identifying and understanding crime guns, preventing prohibited possession, intervening when someone poses a risk, safely storing firearms, improving training and accountability, supporting young survivors and responding to emerging technologies.
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) praised the signing of the California Firearm Printing Prevention Act. "Thank you to Governor Newsom for signing the California Firearm Printing Prevention Act, a bill that will make California safer," she said. "A 3D printed gun doesn't have a serial number or a paper trail and should never have been produced. AB 2047 stops these weapons at the source, before they can harm our communities."
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), co-founder of California's Gun Violence Working Group, said AB 2378 creates a dedicated Office of Community Violence Intervention. "California has become a national leader in reducing gun violence because we've made a sustained commitment to investing in smart, proven strategies to stop violence before it occurs," he said.
Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) said AB 2339 improves reporting when an individual has been involuntarily admitted to a mental health facility because they pose a threat to themselves or others. "Closing gaps in the information available to the Department of Justice will help ensure that firearm background checks have the information they need to be effective," he said.
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey) said AB 2636 ensures judges consider all facts when determining whether rehabilitation and deferred entry of judgment are appropriate for young people. Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) said AB 1753 helps ensure firearms and ammunition are surrendered when someone poses a danger, while AB 1974 gives people a safe, voluntary way to temporarily store firearms outside the home during moments of crisis.
Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield), author of SB 1220, the Peace Officer Protection Act, said: "Every parent should be able to send their child to school, to a friend's house, or out into their community without worrying about a ghost gun ending up in the wrong hands."
Gun-safety advocates also welcomed the package. Brady California Legislation and Policy Chair Ruth Borenstein said California's gun death rates have dropped year after year, and that the bills include a requirement for prospective gun owners to receive education and training on gun laws and gun safety. Everytown for Gun Safety President John Feinblatt said California is "setting a standard that the 3D-printing industry and states across the country should take seriously."