ENCINITAS — Two bills intended to bring about more firearm safety, sponsored by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, were signed into law on Sept. 26 by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Senate Bill 452 requires all semiautomatic pistols sold in California to use microstamping technology and SB 417 requires gun sellers to post warnings about the danger of having a firearm in a home.
With microstamping, the handguns will etch unique identifiers on expended cartridges, providing law enforcement with valuable information to help identify shooters, a statement from Blakespear’s office reads.
“SB 452 will put to use readily available technology to help law enforcement identify the guns used illegally and the people behind them,” Blakespear said. “I applaud Gov. Newsom for his leadership on this issue.”
In 2021, statewide gun crimes solved by law enforcement was 40%, and only 55% for homicides, according to the Brady Campaign. Microstamping adds an identifier to spent rounds.
“Disrupting the cycles of violence is imperative to ending the gun violence epidemic,” said Kris Brown, president of Brady. “Microstamping will help our law enforcement agencies do just that by equipping them with reliable tools to track firearms used in crimes.
“This objective data will help quickly identify shooters and gun traffickers before they can inflict more harm on California’s communities.
Additionally, SB 452 would prohibit the sale or transfer of a semiautomatic pistol made after Jan. 1, 2028, unless it has been verified as a microstamping-enabled pistol.
It passed the Assembly 55-18 and the Senate 30-9.
SB 417 requires gun sellers to post the following notice: “WARNING: If you or a loved one is experiencing distress or depression or is contemplating suicide, please call 988 (The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Access to a firearm in the home significantly increases the risk of suicide, death, and injury during domestic violence disputes, and the unintentional death and traumatic injury to children, household members, and guests.”
The risk of death by suicide is 4 to 10 times higher in homes with guns, and people living with handgun owners die by homicide at twice the rate of their neighbors in gun-free homes, according to a report by Harvard Health Publishing.
“People need to know that simply having a gun in your home dramatically increases your risk of experiencing gun violence,” Blakespear said. “Every day, we read in the news about gun violence. It all starts with access to a gun, and that’s why having a gun in your home escalates the chances it will be used for a suicide, domestic violence or homicide.”
The bill passed the Assembly 63-0 and 32-5 in the Senate.
Elected in November, Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern coastal San Diego County and part of Orange County.
