1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose Senate Bill 948, introduced by Senator Arreguín on February 2, 2026. While I support reasonable firearm safety measures, this bill crosses constitutional boundaries and creates barriers that undermine public safety rather than enhance it. The bill's mandatory eight-hour training requirement with live-fire exercises, set to take effect July 1, 2028, imposes substantial burdens on Californians seeking to exercise their Second Amendment rights. This requirement transforms a basic safety certificate into an expensive, time-consuming obstacle. For working families, single parents, or those in rural areas with limited access to certified instructors and firing ranges, these mandates effectively deny constitutional rights based on economic status and geography. The Supreme Court has consistently held that constitutional rights cannot be conditioned on expensive prerequisites. SB 948's training mandate creates exactly this type of unconstitutional barrier. The requirement for Department of Justice-certified instructors will inevitably create bottlenecks, limiting availability and driving up costs. This disproportionately affects the very communities that may have the greatest need for self-defense options. More troubling is the public safety impact. When legal firearm acquisition becomes prohibitively difficult, law-abiding citizens face delays in obtaining means of self-protection while criminals face no such obstacles. The 60-day requirement for personal firearm importers moving to California, combined with the training mandate, could leave new residents vulnerable during a critical transition period. Creating new misdemeanor offenses for technical violations criminalizes otherwise law-abiding gun owners without addressing actual public safety threats. California already requires a firearm safety certificate and has comprehensive regulations on firearm purchases. SB 948 layers additional requirements that burden constitutional rights without evidence these measures will reduce gun violence. Criminals do not obtain safety certificates or complete training courses. I urge you to oppose SB 948 and instead focus on enforcement of existing laws and measures that target illegal firearm possession and use. Effective gun policy respects constitutional rights while addressing genuine safety concerns.