California: Firearm Excise Tax, Increased DROS Fees and Other Firearm Related Bills Up for Committee Hearings

On Tuesday, April 9, the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife and Senate Governmental Organization Committee will be considering firearm and hunting related legislation.  Please use the appropriate TAKE ACTION buttons below to contact Committee Members urging them to SUPPORT and OPPOSE the below bills. 

Assembly Public Safety Committee:

Assembly Bill 1559, sponsored by Assembly Member Melissa Melendez (R-67), would authorize a person who reasonably believes that they are in immediate and grave danger of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to apply to the sheriff in the county in which they reside for a temporary emergency license to carry a concealed firearm. Further this legislation allows a person who is issued an emergency license to simultaneously apply for a standard concealed carry permit on an expedited basis. 

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.

Assembly Bill 1064, sponsored by Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi (D-66), would place further restrictions on licensed firearms dealers, including prohibiting a residence as a place of business for licensees, allows localities to place further restrictions on where licensees may operate, requires licensees to carry insurance of at least $1 million in coverage per incident and requires extensive recording of a licensees premise to include video surveillance system that, among other requirements, visually records and archives footage of (1) every sale or transfer of a firearm or ammunition, in a manner that includes audio recording (2) all places where firearms or ammunition are stored, displayed, carried, handled, sold, or transferred; (3) the immediate exterior surroundings of the licensee’s business premises; and (4) all parking areas owned or leased by the licensee. 

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.  

Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife:

Assembly Bill 1254, sponsored by Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-54) would prohibit the ability to hunt, trap or otherwise take a bobcat except in specified circumstances including depredation permits. 

The Senate Governmental Organization Committee: 

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.  

Both AB 1297 and AB 893 remain eligible for votes on the Assembly floor. 

Assembly Bill 1297, sponsored by Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, would remove the maximum fee a local authority can charge on the concealed carry permit application.  

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 22^nd District Agricultural Association on and after January 1, 2021.   

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.