Sacramento – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed three of Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s (D – Thousand Oaks) bills aimed at strengthening gun safety in California.
“After the Borderline shooting, which killed 12 people in our community, I worked with local law enforcement officials who recommended these changes to improve the state’s gun laws,” stated Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin.
The bills signed include:
AB 12 is symbolic of the 12 victims of the Borderline tragedy on November 7th, 2018. This law strengthens gun violence restraining orders (GVROs) by extending the duration of a GVRO to a maximum of five years with judicial discretion. The bill also makes several other technical changes that make GVROs easier to implement.
AB 339 requires law enforcement agencies to develop and adopt written policies and standards regarding the use of gun violence restraining orders. The law addresses the lack of awareness of GVROs, fewer than 200 GVROs were issued in the first two years the law was in effect. This will provide an opportunity for local law enforcement agencies to work with their front-line officers, mental health professionals, and community members to tailor policies to meet community expectations.
“By improving the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) law and empowering local law enforcement agencies, these bills provide the tools that are necessary to proactively keep our communities safe while respecting the rights and due process of responsible gun owners,” said Assemblywoman Irwin.
AB 645 will provide information on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at gun shops, on gun packaging, and on the state’s firearm safety certification exam. The idea for this legislation was brought forward to Assemblymember Irwin by James Espinoza of Ventura County, who lost his brother, an Army veteran, to firearm suicide.
“In 2015, half of all gun related deaths in California were a direct result of suicide. And this issue disproportionately affects veterans, with 69.4% of veteran suicides in 2016 resulting from the use of a firearm,” said Assemblymember Irwin. “Losing a loved one to firearm suicide is a tragedy no one should have to face. AB 645 is a commonsense measure to ensure that individuals in crisis have immediate access to a lifesaving resource. We will never know just how many lives these bills will save.”
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin represents California’s 44th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Camarillo, Casa Conejo, Channel Islands Beach, El Rio, Lake Sherwood, Moorpark, Oak Park, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Rosa Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village.