Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, introduced a bill Tuesday that aims to close "major loopholes" in the state's assault weapon ban, officials with his office have announced.
Yee on Tuesday also announced two other gun control measures he plans to introduce this session.
SB 47 is modeled after a bill Yee introduced last year, but that was held by the State Assembly, according to Yee's office.
The bill prohibited semi-automatic weapons like AR-15s and AK-47s from having devices known as “bullet buttons” and “mag magnets,” which allow the gun to be easily reloaded with multiple rounds of ammunition. SB 47 will also prohibit add-on kits that allow high-capacity magazines.
In addition, Yee announced that he plans to introduce legislation that will require yearly registration and background checks for gun ownership and another bill that will toughen safety requirements.
For most firearms, current law only requires a registration and background check at the time of purchase. In addition, current law only requires that gun owners own a trigger lock or safety lock box for their weapon, but doesn’t require the safety device to be used on an idle firearm.
Yee’s legislation will require that all guns have a locked trigger and be properly stored in a lock box when not in use.
“While we cannot stop every senseless act of gun violence, surely we can strengthen our laws to limit such tragedies in the future,” Yee said in a statement.
“These bills, as well as the ammunition bill authored by Senator Kevin De Leon and the school safety bill by Senator Ted Lieu, will help make our communities safer.”
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