Senator Portantino’s Campus Safety Bill Passes Senate Education Committee

Wednesday, April 20 2022

For Immediate Release: April 20, 2022

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400

 

Senator Portantino’s Campus Safety Bill Passes Senate Education Committee

Sacramento, CA - Senate Bill 906, a bill authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) that prioritizes student safety, passed the Senate Education Committee today.  By ensuring safe at-home storage of firearms and quick, robust investigations of imminent school threats, SB 906 aims to prevent tragic shootings on our campuses.

“We must move from threat assessment to protective action without hesitation,” stated Senator Anthony Portantino.  “With common sense proactive measures, we can prepare educators and parents to identify red flags and ultimately prevent tragedies.  In many cases of school shootings, there were warning signs.  Recent events in Michigan show that there sometimes is hesitancy in acting on them, which could lead to tragic results.  Knowing and understanding the signs of potential gun violence can help prevent it.”

Since 1970, the United States has had 1,316 school shootings with 164 occurring in California.  As experienced in Michigan, these shootings are too often fatal.   Senator Portantino is following up on his safe storage of firearms legislation with a comprehensive school safety plan, which includes a strong and prudent mandate to follow through on threats.

“Strong gun laws can help save lives and SB 906 is just the kind of legislation that, if signed into law, will make a difference and help keep our children safe,” stated Margot Bennett, Executive Director of Women Against Gun Violence.  “We applaud California State Senator Portantino for taking the steps necessary to help prevent gun violence.”

SB 906 would:

Require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Justice, to develop model content for public or charter schools on a threat or perceived threat of a mass shooting incident

Upon becoming aware of a credible violent threat, schools must immediately report that threat to the law enforcement authorities, and school leaders, in consultation with law enforcement, must search a student’s on campus property for the presence of firearms

Schools are required to include information related to the safe storage of firearms in the annual notification provided to the parents or guardians.

“We wholeheartedly support SB 906 as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our students, teachers, and staff are safe at school,” stated Jeff Freitas, President of the California Federation of Teachers.  “We have a moral obligation to confront the ongoing issue of gun violence in our schools. SB 906 will help keep weapons off campus and will help prevent future tragedies.”

Senator Portantino has a long 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 carry of handguns and rifles in California and as Senator, he raised the general gun purchase age in California to twenty-one.  In 2019, Governor Newsom also signed Senator 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.  In 2021, Senate Bill 715 was signed into law, which enacts important gun purchase safeguards.  SB 906 continues the Senator’s legacy as one of California’s most ardent gun reform advocates.

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