Newsom, Bonta, and Portantino Announce Legislation Strengthening California’s Concealed-Carry Laws

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Sen. Anthony J. Portantino (D – Pasadena) held a press conference to discuss gun safety efforts and legislation that strengthens California’s conceal carry laws.

SB 2, authored by Portantino, will implement significant improvements to California’s existing conceal-carry weapon (CCW) laws to address the recent United States Supreme Court decision in New York Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen.

“In the wake of the recent tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay and the continued threat of mass shootings, it’s critical that California leads on the issue of gun safety and reform,” said Portantino. “I am proud to be working with Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta and activists on SB 2 to strengthen our existing concealed carry laws and ensure every Californian is safe from gun violence. We must be diligent in addressing the gun violence epidemic in our country and concealed carry laws are a key component of this.”

Portantino’s office said  SB 2 would affect California state law by:

• Ensuring those carrying firearms in public are responsible, law-abiding citizens who do not pose a danger to themselves or others;

• Protecting children and young adults from gun violence by setting a minimum age requirement of 21 years of age to obtain a CCW license;

• Advancing safety through stronger storage and training requirements on the proper handling, loading, unloading, and storage of firearms; limiting all CCW licensees to carrying no more than two firearms at any given time in public; and

• Safeguarding the public by identifying certain sensitive public places where guns may not be carried.

The Governor and Attorney General are sponsors of SB 2.

Critics say the provision of the law creating a default ban on private property is unconstitutional and an identical provision in NY has already been halted with a preliminary injunction.

One local critic stated “Anthony Portantino is hiding the fact that he is sponsoring a law that seeks to limit the right of self-defense for law-abiding citizens in a way that federal courts have already found to be unconstitutional.”