Senator Portantino’s Campus Safety Bill Passes Senate Public Safety Committee

Wednesday, April 27 2022

For Immediate Release: April 27, 2022

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400

 

Senator Portantino’s Campus Safety Bill Passes Senate Public Safety 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 Public Safety 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 be proactive to prevent future tragedies,” stated Senator Anthony Portantino.  “SB 906 is a common sense measure that can help prepare educators and parents to identify red flags and heed warning signs.  We saw in Michigan that there can sometimes be hesitancy in acting on these warning signs and a comprehensive safety plan for campuses can help save lives.”

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.

“Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children and teens in America.  Right now we have a chance to do something about it by passing California State Senator Anthony Portantino’s impactful legislation, SB 906.  Let’s not let this moment go by,” stated Margot Bennett, Executive Director of Women Against 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 are heartened that SB 906 passed out of the Senate Public Safety Committee today,” stated  Jeff Freitas, President of the California Federation of Teachers. “SB 906 will help keep our schools and our communities safer by creating a critical partnership between local education agencies and the California Department of Justice to better assess and respond to future threats of gun violence.”

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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