Over the last few months, and following the recent Orlando massacre, gun violence and weapons law has been highly in debate throughout the US.
Now authorities in California have introduced a range of new laws designed to prevent mass shootings by seizing guns from those considered a danger to others or themselves and banning large ammo magazines.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed six gun-control bills into state legislation, comprising an expansion of the 1989 law commonly known as the assault weapons ban. California is known for already having some of the tightest weapon laws in the US.
Under this new legislation, Californian citizens can now have their weapons confiscated by authorities, without being accused or convicted of any crimes. Family members and police must appeal to a judge for a ‘gun violence restraining order’ for the guns to be seized. This order lasts up to 21 days and can be extended.
The high-capacity gun magazine ban has also been introduced, but will come into effect on July 1st 2017. Owners of high capacity gun magazines will now have to get rid of said property by re-selling it to a firearms dealer, entrusting it to authorities, destroying it or removing it from the state of California.
A bill requiring ammunition background checks was also signed, and another banning the sale of semiautomatic rifles equipped with bullet buttons.
The new laws have already initiated a number of rallies against the bans and gun activists say they will not be adhering to the new laws.
