Bill > AB1974

This bill authorizes local law enforcement agencies, such as city police departments and county sheriff's departments, to establish voluntary firearm storage programs where individuals can temporarily hand over their firearms for safekeeping to help prevent gun violence, suicide, and other injuries. Under this program, agencies are required to store firearms for up to one year, provide clear instructions and website information on how to turn in and retrieve weapons, check the Automated Firearms System (a statewide database tracking firearm ownership and history) to ensure the weapon has not been reported lost, stolen, or linked to a crime, and verify that the owner is legally eligible to possess a firearm before returning it. The legislation protects participating law enforcement agencies from liability for any accidental damage to the stored firearms and dictates that unretrieved firearms will generally be destroyed or donated to a museum or historical society after the storage period ends, unless the owner has pending paperwork for its return. Additionally, the bill exempts individuals from certain state laws regarding the carrying of concealed weapons, open carry restrictions, and standard firearms dealer transfer requirements, provided they give prior notice to law enforcement and are simply transporting the weapon to participate in the voluntary storage program.