California gun owners would have to register their firearms yearly under legislation proposed on Feb. 14 by a state senator.
Mr. Portantino, a longtime proponent of tougher gun laws, authored the controversial SB 2 last year, which added several new regulations for concealed carry permit holders and prohibited them from carrying firearms in nearly all public places. The new location restrictions are on hold as a legal challenge is considered in court.
The state senator, whose term ends on Dec. 31, is running for Congress to succeed outgoing Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff.
Mr. Portantino said the state has only a rough estimate of how many firearms are in California. If his bill passes, gun owners would have to file yearly registrations for each gun owned and pay a fee into a special fund for the California Department of Justice to run and enforce the program.
Since 1991, all guns sold in the state, either privately or by a dealer, have had to be registered. However, millions of guns purchased before that date aren’t on file.
Only about half of the firearms legally owned in the state are registered, according to Sam Paredes, executive director of the Second Amendment advocacy group Gun Owners of California.
The proposal to mandate yearly registration could be costly for millions of gun owners, Mr. Paredes said.
“All he’s doing is giving us a parting shot ... to make it as onerous and as expensive as possible for gun owners to own guns in California,” Mr. Paredes told The Epoch Times.
The bill doesn’t specify the cost of yearly registrations.
The bill also prohibits the possession of an unregistered firearm. Starting July 1, 2025, gun owners would face a $1,000 penalty for each firearm not registered, according to the bill text.
The bill allows for some exceptions. Any gun owned by a federal or state government agency or department that employs a peace officer doesn’t have to register.
Any firearms owned by the Armed Forces, California National Guard, or California State Guard are also exempt. Guns owned personally by law enforcement officers will still need to be registered.
The California Department of Justice would be required to start the new registration system by April 1, 2025.
Attorney Brian Hennigan and Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson suggested the bill to Mr. Portantino, according to the senator’s press release. According to Mr. Hennigan and Ms. Levenson, the bill will remind citizens of their civic duty.
“The statute, which requires gun owners to register each firearm annually, is an important tool to remind all citizens of the civic responsibility that comes with owning a firearm,” they said in a Feb. 14 statement. “Indeed, the historic roots for this statute trace back to colonial America and serve as a reminder that with ownership comes responsibility.”
In opposition, Mr. Paredes, of the Gun Owners of California, said the new measure would penalize firearm owners. The organization would immediately take legal action against SB 1160 if it passes, he added.
“Without question, if this makes it through the Legislature in whatever form, we’ll file a lawsuit,” Mr. Paredes said.
He said that in some ways he is thankful for Mr. Portantino’s proposal because it gives gun owners a way to sue the state on the constitutionality of all state registration programs, possibly voiding them altogether.
“Our track record of suing to overturn [Mr. Portantino’s] gun laws is impeccable,” he said.
