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Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 241 to require all federally licensed firearm dealers in the State of California, and their employees, to complete annual training provided by the California Department of Justice. Mandatory training and gun dealer certification is necessary to prevent theft, straw purchases, and other nefarious crimes that are too often a result of the free flow of guns in our communities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) reports 1,903 federally licensed dealers or pawn brokers of firearms in California, including over 20 stores registered in Orange County.
“We have got to do something to reduce the gun violence in this country,”Min said. “While this bill will not end gun violence, it will help to reduce it, by requiring gun dealers to undergo training to prevent theft, fraud, and illegal purchases. Nearly all gun violence in this country stems from guns that were originally purchased from legal outlets. It’s long past time that we required gun retailers to put in place responsible sales practices, to ensure that every legal gun sale is thoroughly scrutinized by the person processing the transaction.”
“Federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) play a critical role in preventing the proliferation of illegal guns across the nation and in California, yet they operate with minimal oversight and there are no federal laws or regulations requiring those engaging in the sale of firearms to have training. This bill fills this gap and ensures that California gun dealers and their employees have the training and tools they need to engage in responsible business practices. Brady is proud to sponsor this legislation,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady.
The California Department of Justice training will cover federal and state laws governing the sales and transfers of firearms and ammunitions; how to recognize indicators an individual intends to use a firearm for fraudulent activity, unlawful purposes, or self-harm; theft and burglary prevention; teach rules of safe firearm handling and storage; and other reasonable business practices that will deter gun trafficking or the unlawful use of firearms.
SB 241 builds on Senator Min’s SB 1384 (Chapter 995, Statutes of 2022). Signed by the Governor last year, this legislation requires firearms dealers to carry liability insurance and install onsite surveillance.
