Portantino’s Bill Restricting Access to Semi-Automatic Weapons Takes Effect

State Sen. Anthony J. Portantino (D-Pasadena) announced that Senate Bill 61, which would prohibit anyone under 21 from purchasing center-fire, semi-automatic firearms and limit all others to one purchase per month, took effect Thursday.

“SB 61 is a critical public safety measure and a continuation of California’s sensible gun control efforts,” Portantino said of his bill in a statement.

“It is my hope that keeping these dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands will prevent future horrendous acts of violence. Preventing gun violence has long been a priority for me and I will continue to fight for sensible gun control in our state,” he said.

SB 61 was signed into law by Governor Newsom in 2019. The measure received support from the Bay Area Student Activists, Brady California United Against Gun Violence, the Coalition Against Gun Violence, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the Los Angeles City Attorney, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Portantino has a history of advocating for smart and sensible solutions to our nation’s tragic history of gun violence. During his time in the Assembly, the senator successfully banned the open carrying of handguns and rifles in California. As a senator, he raised the general gun purchase age in California to 21.

In 2019, Newsom also signed Portantino’s SB 172. The bill enacted a slate of significant provisions related to firearms storage by broadening criminal storage crimes, adding criminal storage offenses to those offenses that can trigger a 10-year firearm ban, and creating an exemption to firearm loan requirements for the purposes of preventing suicide.

The same year, SB 376 was signed into law, which reduces the number of firearms an unlicensed individual is annually able to sell and the frequency with which they are able to sell.