Repeal Of Handgun Ammunition Registration Bill AB 962 Is In The Works
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 10:48 amTags: Ammunition BansAnti Gun PoliticiansCaliforniaCalifornia Rifle and Pistol AssociationCRPAGun PoliticsNRAPro Gun News
Repeal Of Handgun Ammunition Registration Bill AB 962 Is In The Works
California Rifle and Pistol Association
Sacromento, CA --(AmmoLand.com)- Outrage! That’s the reaction that CRPA and NRA members in California are understandably having to the news that the Governor signed AB 962 into law on October 11, 2009. AB 962 is slated to go into effect February 1, 2011. But we are not going to just stand by and wait. CRPA and NRA have already started the legislative wheels turning to halt AB 962 before the 2011 implementation date.
CRPA and NRA members want this bill reversed, and that is what we are going to do!
Assemblyman Curt Hagman (R- Diamond Bar) has stepped up and agreed to carry legislation on our members’ behalf. Earlier this year Assemblyman Hagman introduced AB 373 which proposed to streamline the sale of handguns. He has now agreed to amend AB 373 to call for the repeal of AB 962. NRA and CRPA will be cosponsoring AB 373, and we will need your help immediately in this effort. The bill is currently being amended and will be introduced in January 2010. Things need to start happening quickly since hearings on AB 373 will begin in January when the Legislature reconvenes. Everyone needs to get involved. Gun owners, shooters, hunters, vendors, collectors, affiliate clubs and anyone who values their Second Amendment right and freedom all need to work together to reverse AB 962. NRA and CRPA will be planning many activities in the near future to attack AB 962. Watch for CRPA and NRA alerts asking you to contact your legislators and involve yourself in future volunteer activities.
How Can you Help Now?
If you are not already a member, join CRPA and NRA immediately (call 1-800-305-2772; this number will link you to you CRPA and NRA). We need you support to fight this and other anti-gun legislation.
- Contact Assembly Hagman and thank him for his willingness to take on this issue (email: assemblymember.hagman@assembly.ca.gov phone: 916-319-2060
- Immediately share this information with anyone you know who cherishes their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
- Continue to monitor the CRPA and NRA websites for updates and watch for alerts (www.crpa.org & www.nra.org).
- Be proactive and get involved in planned activities to halt AB 962.
AB 962 should be of real concern to all firearms owners for two important reasons. First, it is of concern because of the requirement to collect personal information from purchasers of handgun ammunition – a serious privacy rights issue. Second, it will prohibit the purchase of ammunition through internet and mail order vendors. This second part has the potential to severely impact junior shooting sports programs that rely on internet and mail order ammunition purchases.
AB 962 requires purchasers to show bona fide ID to ammunition vendors in order to purchase handgun ammunition. The bona fide is spelled out as a government issued ID with a photo. Acceptable forms include a driver’s license or military ID. In addition, the vendor is required to record the purchasers name, driver’s license number, state of issuance, signature, thumbprint, residential address, date of birth and phone number. In addition the name of the sales person, the date of sale, brand type and amount of ammunition sold must also be recorded. The records must be kept on the vendor’s premises for a minimum of five years. There is no provision for how the records are maintained (paper or electronic) stored, or securely destroyed. Vendors would not intentionally allow misuse of your personal information. However, there is always a potential for theft or misuse by others. If you think about the number of ammunition vendors in California, large and small retailers, I’m sure that you can easily imagine the potential for identity theft and misuse of your unsecured personal information. AB 962 sets exposes vendors and customers to be victimized by unscrupulous people that could profit from theft of your personal information. AB 962 clearly creates a privacy rights issue that we all should be extremely concerned about.
With regard to internet and mail order sales, AB 962 allows for only face-to-face transactions for the purchase of handgun ammunition. Therefore, internet and mail orders sales for California residents are banned. This means that you will not be able to purchase handgun ammunition from your favorite internet or mail order store, including Cabelas, Midway and Midsouth. Sadly, this means that many junior shooting sports programs will be eliminated because they rely heavily on purchase of surplus ammunition, at a reduced cost, through the civilian marksmanship program via internet and mail order.
Unfortunately, AB 962 was unnecessary legislation for California. It is already unlawful for persons prohibited from possessing firearms to obtain or possess ammunition. To view the full text of AB 962, please go to the CRPA website at www.crpa.org.
The following is the Governor’s signing message for AB 962.
To the Members of the California State Assembly:
I am signing Assembly Bill 962. This measure would require vendors of handgun ammunition to keep a log of information on handgun ammunition sales, store ammunition in a safe and secure manner, and require the face-to-face transfer of ammunition sales.
Although I have previously vetoed legislation similar to this measure, local governments have demonstrated that requiring ammunition vendors to keep records on ammunition sales improves public safety. These records have allowed law enforcement to arrest and prosecute persons who have no business possessing firearms and ammunition: gang members, violent parolees, second and third strikers, and even people previously serving time in state prison for murder. Utilized properly, this type of information is invaluable for keeping communities safe and preventing dangerous felons from committing crimes with firearms.
Moreover, this type of record-keeping is no more intrusive for law abiding citizens than similar laws governing pawnshops or the sale of cold medicine. Unfortunately, even the most successful local program is flawed; without a statewide law, felons can easily skirt the record keeping requirements of one city by visiting another. Assembly Bill 962 will fix this problem by mandating that all ammunition vendors in the state keep records on ammunition sales. As Governor, I have sought the appropriate balance between public safety and the right to keep and bear arms. I have signed important public safety measures to regulate the sale and transfer of .50 caliber rifles, instituted the California Firearms License Check program, and promoted the use of micro-stamping technology in handguns. I have also vetoed many pieces of legislation that sought to place unreasonable restrictions and burdens on firearms dealers and ammunition vendors. Assembly Bill 962 reasonably regulates access to ammunition and improves public safety without placing undue burdens on consumers. For these reasons, I am pleased to sign this bill.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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BE PROACTIVE AND GET INVOLVED!
Write to Your Representatives and Commissioners
Send your comments on pending legislation and regulatory actions to your legislator and/or the Fish and Game Commission. And remember that it is just as important to send a letter or e-mail thanking officials when they support gun owners and sportsmen. Please keep in mind the following when you write:
- State your name and address (phone number optional)
- State that you are a member of CRPA
- Be professional and courteous
- Be concise
- State what the issue is
- State your concerns or your thanks
- State what action you are requesting
State Legislators: Find the specific address for your legislator at www.legislature.ca.gov/ or address your letter to your legislator and mail it to the State Capitol, Sacramento, 94248-0001
Fish and Game Commission: 1416 Ninth St., Rm. 1320, Sacramento, 95814, or through the Commission’s website at fgc@dfg.ca.gov.
About:
California Rifle and Pistol Association: To oppose any actions which the Association believes infringe upon the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United State of America.
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Arnold you are a traitor
very disapointed on your decision,totally against our believes,and principals against our constitution.
wil not be supported by mi
An unmentioned, but critical impact of AB962, is that it could potentially put thousands of Californians out of work, and force many more businesses to relocate out of state, when the state already has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Way to go, Arnie!
What is to prevent anyone from just traveling to a neighboring state to buy ammo? That’s not illegal is it? Do neighboring states have laws like this?
If people go to say Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tuscon, a city in Oregon, etc., then their names, addresses and types of firearms owned will likely not end up on a list and ultimately in the hands of gun thieves who will break into homes to steal the guns. Presently people do not advertise the fact that they own firearms due to this very reason. Why take the chance?
I don’t understand how these gangs manage to stay in business what with all the laws they have come up with to discourage them. Or maybe they have all left Kalifornia? If not this new ammo law will certainly drive the remaining few out. And any that are bold enough to stay and possess ammo and get caught will never see any jail time because from what I understand there is no more room in the jails or prisons for misdemeanor convictions, they’re letting those
people out to make room for the felony criminals.
To Gov. Schwarzenegger: Sic Semper Tyrannis!
Yes, Gov. I do know and support the historical meaning of those Latin words.
Arnold:
Nice “girlie man” move!
Who has your nuts in a vise?
Shame on you – your letter is is a joke.
However, I do feel safer knowing that as part of AB 962 that it is now also a misdemeanor for “known gang members” to posses handgun ammo.
This is a very bad joke.
Doug
There is no way that Junior Rifle Shooting can continue under this new law, since a minors possesion of 22 caliber ammunition would be illegal, and the person that supplied the ammunition to the minor would also be in violation of the law. Parents and shooting coaches, as soon as, you hand a youth a single 22 caliber round you are in violation of the law, subject to fines and jail time.
didn’t komifornia try this one before back in the mid to late 80′s? I remember having to enter in a log for handgun ammo name, address, cal and gun used. I was just amazed at how many people had a Marlin 336 lever action in every handgun cal. Its a joke of a law and just a way to raise money and put people on a list.
“put people on a list”? Well, what type of business transaction doesn’t put your name on a “list”? When you go buy groceries are you similarly scared when you pay with your debit card and the store records your shopping information? How about when you buy prescription medicine, do you think the ID requirement or face-to-face transaction is intrusive too? Just curious, you seem to have selective outrage.
Well, I shoot WWII Weapons exclusively except for my one Pistol. It’s always been cheaper to hunt for deals online than the few places around here that do carry the Ammo I need. The Price Difference is incredible. I wouldn’t really mind the whole ID thing if it weren’t so hard to find Ammo… I think proof of age is all that’s needed for ammo sales… as being on a list isn’t going ot help at all since the list wouldn’t be checked until after something bad happend.
This bill is positive proof that kalifornia is legislated by a bunch of jackasses. It will accomplish nothing pertaining to gang violence or felons possesing firearms.
It’s not so much the list as it is the control. Our government is looking for a way to control what the people do and have. When the government knows what you do and what you own they know how to circumvent you and others from obtaining more or prevent you from using what you have. Personally, I’m tired of our “so-called” leaders trying to control every aspect of our lives and destroy our freedoms. Government is supposed to be from the people, by the people and for the people not from the elected officials, by the elected officials and for the elected officials. Think about it!!
There is also a lawsuit against the exact same law being filed by State Ammunition, you can find them at stateammo.com
Please give them you support as well! Buy something or leave a donation at the online store.
Sorry, I forgot to leave a link to the writeup they made about it.
https://www.stateammunition.com/store/shopnews.asp?type=News
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