State Assemblyember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) is proposing two pieces of gun-related legislation in the wake of the Monterey Park shooting. One bill would improve the process of taking guns away from people who have been ordered by a court to relinquish their firearms. The other would prohibit law enforcement agencies from reselling weapons they seize.
A third bill by Fong would require local government agencies to provide information during emergencies in languages spoken by more than 10% of the population in addition to English.
AB 732: Strengthening the gun seizure law
AB 732 would strengthen the process for removing firearms from people who are prohibited from owning them because of certain criminal convictions, including domestic violence and felonies. People who have been involuntarily admitted to a facility for a mental health disorder more than once in a year also may not possess a gun.
The bill would increase the role of judges and prosecuting attorneys in making sure someone relinquishes their weapons at the time of conviction, according to Cristine DeBerry, executive director of The Prosecutors Alliance of California, which sponsored the legislation.
“Generally the court will read an admonition to the person saying if you have any weapons in your possession, you need to surrender them,” DeBerry said. “But not much else happens after that. So it’s left to the individuals to make the effort.”
The California Department of Justice reports that each year about 5,000 people are added to its Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) due to a criminal conviction. According to the California Department of Justice, there are 23,869 who…
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