Firearms: owner-authorized handguns.

Existing law establishes criteria for determining if a handgun is unsafe. Existing law generally requires manufacturers to submit samples of new handgun models for testing to determine if they are unsafe or may be approved for sale, as specified. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to compile a roster listing all of the handguns that have been tested and determined not to be unsafe. Other provisions of existing law, subject to exceptions, generally make it an offense to manufacture or sell a handgun that is not safe. This bill would define an owner-authorized handgun as a handgun that has a permanent feature that renders the handgun incapable of being fired except when activated by the lawful owner or owners of the handgun. The bill would specify requirements that an owner-authorized handgun would be required to meet, and would require a manufacturer that has developed an owner-authorized handgun meeting those requirements to submit the handgun for testing, at the manufacturer's expense, before the handgun may be placed on the roster of handguns determined not to be unsafe. If two owner-authorized handguns have been placed on the roster, the bill would, commencing two years from the date that the second handgun was placed on the roster, prohibit the Department of Justice from placing a handgun on the roster that is not an owner-authorized handgun. By expanding the application of provisions of law that define a criminal offense, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.