TITLE
Recommendation to City Council to amend the 2013 State Legislative Agenda to include language that supports strengthening gun control legislation; and support SB 374 (Steinberg), SB 396 (Hancock), SB 47 (Yee), SB 755 (Wolk) and SB 567 (Jackson) in the 2013 State Legislative Session.
DISCUSSION
On May 7, 2013, the State Legislative Committee voted to add language pertaining to gun control to the 2013 State Legislative Agenda. The Committee also considered five current gun control bills on which to take a legislative position of support. A memo from Councilmember Austin to the State Legislative Committee on gun control is attached for your information.
As a result of the Committee's actions, the following language is proposed for the 2013 State Legislative Agenda:
COMMUNITY SAFETY
Item B: Public Safety and Crime Prevention
"Support legislation that would strengthen gun control laws and stem the flow of guns to the drug trade, criminal gangs and potential terrorists by reducing the number of assault weapons in California, banning large capacity magazines, promoting gun safety, enabling ammunition tracking and ensuring that prohibited possessors cannot own guns. "
A summary of each bill on which the Committee recommends a position of "support" is below:
• S8 374 (Steinberg) would prohibit the future sale, purchase, manufacture, importation or transfer in California of semi-automatic rifles that can accept detachable magazines. Specifically, this bill amends the current definition of illegal "assault weapon" to include a semiautomatic, rimfire or centerfire rifle that does not have a fix magazine with the capacity to accept ten or fewer rounds
• S8 396 (Hancock) would ban all large capacity ammunition magazines as of July 1, 2014. This bill defines "large capacity magazine" as an ammunition feeding device that can holding more than 10 rounds.
• S8 47 (Yee) would define "fixed magazine" in statute, and revise the definition of "assault weapon" to refer to firearm that has one of several specified military-style features and not have a "fixed magazine," rather than a firearm that has one of those features and "the capacity to accept a "detachable magazine."
• 58 755 (Wolk) would add to the list of persons prohibited from purchasing firearms for 10-years, those ordered by a court to receive assisted outpatient treatment for mental illness, or convicted of either: (1) two or more drug or alcohol offenses in a three-year period; (2) taking a firearm from a peace officer; (3) threatening an officer; or (4) one or more of several gang related offenses.
• 58 567 (Jackson) would amend the definition of "shotgun" to delete language stating that to be considered a shotgun, the weapon must be "intended to be fired from the shoulder".
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
PATRICK O'DONNELL, CHAIR
STATE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE