CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 320

Introduced by Senator Limón

February 11, 2025

An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 30180) to Division 9 of Title 4 of Part 6 of the Penal Code, relating to firearms.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 320, as introduced, Limón. Firearms: California Do Not Sell List.
Existing law makes possession of a firearm by certain classes of persons, including a convicted felon, a person convicted of specified misdemeanors, a person that has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial, a person that has been found not guilty of specified crimes by reason of insanity, or a person that has been placed under conservatorship, a crime. Existing law additionally makes it a crime to sell or give possession of a firearm to these classes of persons prohibited from owning a firearm. Existing law generally makes a violation of the Penal Code a misdemeanor.
Existing law requires the Department of Justice, upon submission of firearm purchaser information by a licensed firearm dealer, to examine its records to determine whether a potential firearm purchaser is prohibited by state of federal law from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm. Existing law requires the department to participate in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
This bill would require the Department of Justice to develop and launch a system to allow a person who resides in California to voluntarily add their own name to, and subsequently remove their own name from, the California Do Not Sell List, with the purpose of preventing the sale or transfer of a firearm to the person who adds their name, as specified. The bill would allow a person to add their name to the list by submitting specified information to a sheriff or municipal police department, and would require that sheriff or municipal police department to verify the information and send it to the Department of Justice. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to ensure that information on the list is uploaded and reflected in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This bill would allow a person, after a specified period of time, to request removal from the list. The bill would make a person’s inclusion or removal from the list confidential, except for disclosure to a law enforcement officer acting in the performance of their duties, and would authorize a person whose confidentiality is violated to bring a private civil action for appropriate relief, as specified. The bill would prohibit requiring a person to voluntarily waive their firearm rights as a condition of employment or of receiving any benefits or services. By creating a new prohibition, this bill would create a new crime and therefore impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 30180) is added to Division 9 of Title 4 of Part 6 of the Penal Code, to read:
CHAPTER  6. Voluntary Do Not Sell List

30180.
 (a) No later than January 1, 2027, the Department of Justice shall develop and launch a system to allow a person who resides in California to voluntarily add their own name to, and subsequently remove their own name from, the California Do Not Sell List, hereafter the Do Not Sell List or the registry. The purpose of the registry is to prevent the sale or transfer of a firearm to a person through a lawful method. The department shall ensure that the system does all of the following credibly:
(1) Verifies the identity of a person who opts to register or requests removal.
(2) Prevents unauthorized disclosure of a person registering or requesting removal.
(3) Informs the potential registrant of the legal effects of registration or removal.
(b) In implementing subdivision (a), the department shall utilize, to the extent feasible, existing state and local resources, systems, databases, and staff.
(c) In implementing the registry, the department shall develop forms for inclusion on, and removal from, the Do Not Sell List. These forms shall be made available for download through the department’s website and require, at a minimum, the following information from the person seeking inclusion on, or removal from, the Do Not Sell List:
(1) Name.
(2) Address.
(3) Date of birth.
(4) Telephone number or email address.
(5) The person’s signature.
(6) On the form requesting inclusion on the list, an acknowledgment that reads: “By presenting this completed form to a law enforcement agency, I understand that I am requesting that my name be placed on a list that restricts my ability to lawfully purchase a firearm until such time as I remove myself from that list. I understand that by voluntarily adding my name to this list, any attempt to lawfully purchase a firearm while I am on this list will be declined. I also understand that, after the number of days described in statute have passed, I may request removal from this list.”
(d) Once the registry is operative, a person who resides in California may request to be added to the Do Not Sell List by submitting the completed form and proof of identification to a sheriff’s office or municipal police department. The sheriff’s office or municipal police department that receives the form shall verify the person’s identity before accepting the form, shall verify that the form is complete, and may not accept a form from someone other than the person named on the form. The sheriff’s office or municipal police department receiving the form shall transmit the form to the Department of Justice, in a manner determined by the department, as soon as possible but no later than three business days after receiving the form. The department shall, on an ongoing basis, ensure that properly completed forms received from a sheriff’s office or municipal police department are uploaded and reflected in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Index for California. The list shall not be used for any purpose other than to determine eligibility to purchase a firearm.
(e) (1) No sooner than 14 days after filing a voluntary waiver of firearm rights, the person may file a request for removal from the Do Not Sell List in the same manner that the person requested inclusion on the Do Not Sell List.
(2) No sooner than 21 days after receiving a request for removal of a voluntary waiver of firearm rights from a sheriff’s office or municipal police department, the department shall remove the person from the NICS Index for California and any other federal or state computer-based systems used by law enforcement agencies or others to identify prohibited purchasers of firearms in which the person was entered.
(f) (1) The fact that a person has requested to be added to the registry, is on the registry, has requested to be removed from the registry, or has been removed from the registry is confidential with respect to all matters, including, but not limited to, those involving health care, employment, education, housing, insurance, government benefits, and contracting, except that such information may be disclosed to a law enforcement officer acting in the performance of their duties. Records created or held pursuant to this chapter are not subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(2) A violation of confidentiality occurs if a person or entity engaged in any activity described in paragraph (1), other than a health care professional, therapist, or counselor, inquires as to any confidential matter described in paragraph (1), or if any person described in paragraph (1), including, but not limited to, a health care professional, therapist, or counselor, takes any adverse action based on that information.
(3) The person whose confidentiality is violated by an inquiry or adverse action in violation of this subdivision may bring a private civil action for appropriate relief, including reasonable attorney’s fees, for each violation that occurs.
(g) No person shall be required to voluntarily waive their firearm rights as a condition of employment or of receiving any benefits or services.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which adds Section 30180 to the Penal Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:
In order to protect the privacy of individuals on the Do Not Sell List, it is necessary to limit the public’s right of access to the list.

SEC. 3.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution for certain costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district because, in that regard, this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
However, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains other costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.