To: The California State House and The California State Senate

Require Gun Owners to Carry Liability Insurance

California needs a harm reduction approach to gun regulation. Gun owners should be required to carry liability insurance to defray the public costs of firearms violence in the state.

Why is this important?

In the aftermath of the Gilroy mass shooting Mayor Sam Liccardo of San Jose observed, in a press release, that "[w]e require motorists to carry automobile insurance, and the insurance industry appropriately encourages and rewards safe driver behavior...[S]uccessful public health models inspire a similar 'harm reduction' approach for firearms." See http://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/86243.

Mayor Liccardo proposed a firearms regulation ordinance for the City of San Jose, CA, based on the “harm reduction” model. This approach to firearms regulation should be applied to the entire state of California so that:

*All firearms owners in the state will carry liability insurance, or will pay a fee, by which the state will defray the public costs of firearm violence in the state.

*There will be a state sales tax on gun and ammunition sales, which will help fund gun safety classes, gun violence prevention programs, and victim assistance services for survivors of gun violence in California.

*The State of California will explore a consent-to-search program for juveniles, which would allow parents to consent to have local law enforcement search a juvenile’s person or their property.

*The State of California will create a program that would offer cash rewards to anyone who reports someone who possesses unlawfully-obtained guns or weapons.