September 2026 Legislation/Litigation Report Legislation
AB 1912, Hadwick. Deer: archery season: concealed firearms.
Existing law establishes an archery season for the taking of deer with bow and arrow. Existing law generally prohibits a person taking or attempting to take deer during that archery season from carrying, or having under their immediate control, a firearm of any kind, except for an active or honorably retired peace officer, as specified.
This bill repeals that prohibition.
Passed by the legislature. Signed by the Governor August 27.
SB 948, Arreguín. Firearms: safety certificates.
Existing law requires any person who purchases or receives a firearm to possess a firearm safety certificate. Existing law also prohibits a person from selling or transferring a firearm to any person who does not possess a firearm safety certificate. A violation of either of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor. Existing law requires a personal firearm importer, within 60 days of bringing any firearm into this state, to, among other things, submit a report including information concerning that individual and a description of the firearm in question to the Department of Justice. Existing law requires that a personal firearm importer be found to have complied with these provisions if certain requirements are satisfied.
This bill would extend the above-described time period to within 180 days and would also require, commencing January 1, 2028, that personal firearm importer to certify under penalty of perjury that they have obtained a valid firearm safety certificate, or an exemption to the certificate requirement, as specified, and would make a failure to provide specified information in the report an infraction. The bill would prohibit a person from bringing a firearm into this state without obtaining a valid firearm safety certificate within 180 days, except as specified, and make a violation of this provision an infraction. The bill would remove the requirement that a personal firearm importer be found to have complied with these provisions if certain requirements are satisfied. By creating a new crime, and expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law requires any costs incurred by the department to implement the above-described provisions regarding personal firearm importers to be absorbed by the department within its existing budget and fees allocated in the Dealers’ Record of Sale Special Account.
This bill would authorize the appropriation of additional funds for implementation of the above-described provisions if the department determines that sufficient funding is not available to implement these provisions.
Existing law requires an applicant for a firearm safety certificate to pass a test developed by the department covering specified subjects, including, among others, the laws applicable to carrying and handling firearms and the responsibilities of ownership of firearms.
This bill would require an applicant for a firearm safety certificate, on or after January 1, 2029, to complete within the prior year a training course no less than 4 hours in length that, among other things, includes instruction on firearm safety and handling and live-fire shooting exercises on a firing range. The bill would authorize the Department of Justice to promulgate regulations and provide additional information for the implementation of these provisions.
Passed on August 25 and enrolled on August 30, 2026. Awaiting the Governor’s
signature.
AB 1943, as amended, Gipson. Pupil safety: notifications: firearms.
- Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, and charter school to annually inform parents and guardians of pupils at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term of California’s child access prevention laws and laws relating to the safe storage of firearms, as specified. Existing law requires the State Department of Education, on or before July 1, 2023, to develop, and subsequently update as provided, in consultation with the Department of Justice, and provide to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, and, upon request, to provide to private schools, model language for the notice regarding those child access prevention and safe storage of firearms
This bill would revise and recast those requirements by, among other things, (A) instead requiring those local educational agencies to inform parents or guardians of each enrolled pupil of the importance of practicing secure firearm storage for all homes in which firearms are present through a notice entitled “Secure Firearm Storage Notification“ that contains, among other things, a description of the risks of children accessing unsecured firearms in the home and California’s child access prevention laws and laws relating to the safe storage of firearms,
(B) requiring the department, State Department of Education, commencing July 1, 2027, to post the model language for notice on its internet website, as specified, (C) requiring the department, on or before July 1, 2027, to provide formatting and content options for local educational agencies to post the notice on their respective internet websites and for posting other relevant information and resources about secure firearm storage using other internet-based communication options, and (D) requiring the department to encourage each local educational agency to adopt a policy and practice of providing the notice to parents, guardians, and caregivers when otherwise providing notice to parents, guardians, or caregivers of disciplinary actions or supports given related to threats against other pupils or threats of self-harm. The bill would make conforming changes. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
- Existing law requires the department, on or before June 15, 2025, to curate and post on its internet website best practices pertaining to school shooter or other armed assailant drills for use by school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, as Existing law encourages a school district, county office of education, or charter school to comply with those best practices.
This bill would require those best practices to also include distributing the Secure Firearm Storage Notice Notification published by the department when providing a specified drill-related notice to parents and guardians of pupils and a recommendation to post the notice on the local educational agency’s internet website.
- Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to send a notice to each middle school, junior high school, and high school that encourages each school to provide suicide prevention training to each school counselor at least one time while employed as a counselor, provides information on the availability of the suicide prevention training curriculum developed by the department, and informs schools about the suicide prevention training provided by the department and describes how a school might retain those services.
This bill would require that notice to also include the Secure Firearm Storage Notification model content published by the department as an example of information about reducing access to lethal means that can be given by a school counselor to a pupil’s family, as provided.
- This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 48986 of the Education Code proposed by SB 685 to be operative only if this bill and SB 685 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(4)
- The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Passed August 26. Enrolled and sent to the Governor on September 3. Awaiting the
Governor’s signature.
AB 2047, as amended, Bauer-Kahan. Firearms: 3-dimensional printing blocking technology.
Existing law makes it a crime to knowingly or willfully cause another person to engage in the unlawful manufacture of firearms or knowingly or willfully aiding, abetting, prompting, or facilitating the unlawful manufacture of firearms, including the manufacture of assault weapons or .50 BMG rifles or the manufacture of any firearm using a 3-dimensional printer, as specified.
Existing law authorizes a civil action against a person who knowingly distributes or causes to be distributed any digital firearm manufacturing code to any person, except as specified.
Existing law authorizes the Attorney General, county counsel, or city attorney to bring an action against this person and seek a civil penalty, as specified, for each violation, as well as injunctive relief.
This bill would require the Department of Justice to check on a quarterly basis beginning no later than July 1, 2027, whether ASTM International has published industry standards equipping 3-dimensional printers with firearm blocking technology. The bill would require, if the department determines that ASTM International has published or adopted industry standards for firearm blocking technology for 3-dimensional printers, that the department publish written guidance or regulations within 24 months after making that determination. The bill would require, among other things, the written guidance or regulations to describe minimum performance standards for 3-dimensional printer firearm blocking technology before a printer can lawfully be sold or offered for sale in the state. If, as of July 1, 2029, the department determines that ASTM International has not published industry standards for firearm blocking technology for 3-dimensional printers, the bill would relieve the department of any further responsibility to ascertain whether ASTM International has published or adopted industry standards. The bill would make it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or transfer for consideration, a 3-dimensional printer in the State of California that is not equipped with firearm blocking technology that also meets the above-described industry standards. The bill would exempt printers used exclusively for the manufacturing of properties (props) in the entertainment industry, and would authorize the department to adopt regulations that provide for additional exceptions to these provisions.
This bill would also exempt a person who distributes, or causes the distribution of, digital firearm manufacturing code, solely for the bona fide purpose of, among other things, developing, refining, and testing the functionality of a firearm blocking technology from civil liability.
Passed by the legislature August 31. Enrolled September 4. Awaiting the Governor’s
signature.
AB 1974, as introduced, Stefani. Firearms: voluntary firearm storage program.
Existing law requires a person, who claims title to a firearm that is in the custody of a court or law enforcement agency and wishes to have it returned, to make an application for a determination by the Department of Justice as to whether the applicant is eligible to possess a firearm. Under existing law, a law enforcement agency or court that has taken custody of a firearm is prohibited from returning the firearm to an individual unless specified requirements are met, including, but not limited to, requiring the person to be eligible to possess a firearm and verifying that the firearm is not listed as stolen and the firearm has been recorded in the Automated Firearms System in the name of the person, as specified. Existing law requires any weapon that was carried unlawfully for specified crimes to be surrendered to specified law enforcement entities. Existing law requires weapons surrendered pursuant to these provisions to be destroyed by the law enforcement entity.
This bill would authorize a law enforcement agency, as defined, to create a voluntary firearm storage program that allows a person to voluntarily transfer custody of their firearm to the local law enforcement agency for temporary safekeeping purposes to prevent firearm violence, suicide, and other injury. The bill would require a law enforcement agency adopting this
program to provide clear instructions on the procedure to voluntarily transfer custody of a firearm and to provide clear instructions on the process for requesting return of the firearm, as specified. Upon receipt of a firearm, the bill would require a law enforcement agency to, among other things, check a certain database to ensure the firearm has not previously been reported lost, stolen, or involved in a crime and ensure that the requesting person is eligible to possess firearms when the firearm is returned to the person. The bill would require a law enforcement agency to destroy a firearm that a person failed to retrieve at the end of a time period specified by the law enforcement agency, except as provided.
Existing law prohibits the carrying of a concealed firearm or the open carrying of a firearm, as specified. Existing law provides certain exemptions to these prohibitions, including exemptions for peace officers, retired peace officers, and persons possessing a valid license to carry a concealed firearm. Existing law generally regulates the sale and transfer of firearms, including, among other requirements and subject to exceptions, that the transfer of a firearm be conducted through a firearms dealer.
This bill would exempt the voluntary transfer of a firearm to a local law enforcement agency pursuant to the provisions above from these prohibitions and regulations.
August 30, passed by legislature. Enrolled September 4. Awaiting the Governor’s
signature.
Litigation
United States v California: The United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Second Amendment Section, filed a lawsuit against California over the “Glock ban” on July 1, and is seeking a preliminary injunction against implementing and enforcing it.
VIRAMONTES V. COOK COUNTY/GRANT V. HIGGINS
The Supreme Court, on June 30, has combined these two cases and granted certiorari, meaning they will hear oral arguments in these assault weapon ban cases December 2, 2026. Several cases, including Duncan v Bonta—the California large capacity magazine ban case, have been held over pending disposition of this combined case.
This case was scheduled for conference 21 times. There have been 30 Amicus Curae briefs filed and the period for filing is extended until October 26.
Baird V Bonta, a challenge to California’s ban on open carry in counties with populations over 200,000. A three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that California’s law for open carry is unconstitutional. The law banned open carry in any county with a population greater than 200,000 and required a permit in counties with less.
The state has appealed to the Supreme Court, and a stay has been issued pending action by the court.
Rhode V Bonta, the challenge to California’s ammunition restrictions, was heard by an En Banc panel of the Ninth Circuit District Court of Appeal on March 25. We are still awaiting their decision.
Respectfully submitted, David Smith
