2013: An Unprecedented Year for Firearm Safety in California

By Erica McCray

 Of the 17 bills supported in 2013 by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, legislators in California passed an impressive 10. The priority of the bills that passed highlight the importance of increased accountability for owners of firearms to restrict prohibited people from having access to guns. There will be increased liability to owners who do not take appropriate steps as identified by the law, to ensure that children and prohibited persons cannot access firearms. A feature of AB 1131 (Skinner) extended the wait time for the mentally ill person who has made threats to identifiable victims from six months to five years. As a social worker, this information can be an additional protection particularly against domestic abusers and mental health workers.

SB 374 (Steinberg) would have prohibited assault weapons manufacturing, sale or possession of semiautomatics with the capability of accepting detachable ammunition magazines. SB 374 did not pass. Another bill that did not bass is SB 755 (Wolk) that would have expanded the category for prohibited persons. In the shadow of Newtown University school shootings and the messages we get from media, it is encouraging to see that California is taking a proactive stance against gun violence. According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, California is earning an A- grade. And with our strength in passing 10 of 17 laws that will promote public safety, it is clear that California is earning an A.

Erica N. McCray, BSW, is an intern with NASW-CA and can be reached at erica@naswca.org.