SACRAMENTO — Legislation Watch · Status: on the Senate Third Reading File — may be called for a floor vote at any time · Last verified August 11, 2026 · We update this post as the bill moves.
The Legislature is back from summer recess, and one of the firearms bills nearest the finish line is AB 1974 (Stefani), which its author describes as a “voluntary” firearm storage program. It has already cleared the Assembly and now sits on the Senate Third Reading File, meaning it can be brought up for a floor vote on short notice. If the Senate passes it unchanged, it heads to the Governor’s desk.
Key facts
| Author | Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) |
| What it does | Authorizes law enforcement agencies to run voluntary firearm storage programs, with database checks and eligibility verification on return, and permits destruction of firearms not reclaimed within an agency-set time; these transfers are exempted from the usual dealer and carry-license transfer rules |
| Stated purpose | Giving local police departments a framework for safe-storage programs |
| Assembly | Passed April 20, 2026, 71–2 |
| Current status | Senate Third Reading File — awaiting a floor vote |
What it means for California owners
The label “voluntary” isn’t the part to watch — the return process is. Gun-rights groups argue the bill expands government involvement in the custody and disposition of lawfully owned firearms, and that reliance on California’s existing firearm-release bureaucracy could make surrendered firearms difficult or costly to recover. The destruction provision for unreclaimed firearms is the sharpest edge: it puts a clock on retrieval that the owner may not be tracking.
Anyone weighing such a program should read the final language closely on three points: the conditions for retrieval, the timeline before an agency may dispose of the firearm, and what eligibility re-verification is required to get it back. Storage is simple; retrieval is where friction accumulates.
Where it sits among this session’s bills
- SB 948 — expands Firearm Safety Certificate requirements to a minimum four-hour class with live fire, beginning 2028. In Assembly Appropriations.
- SB 1220 — new firearm-prohibiting misdemeanor, carrying a 10-year ban, for offenses involving a firearm with altered identifying marks. In Assembly Appropriations.
- AB 1743 — broadens access to the Automated Firearms System and related firearm-owner databases. In Senate Appropriations.
- AB 1753 — adds ammunition to Gun Violence Restraining Order seizure rules. In Senate Appropriations.
What to watch
- The Senate floor vote — third-reading bills can be taken up with little notice, so there is no fixed date to plan around
- Any Senate amendments, which would send the bill back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote
- The final language on the destruction timeline for unreclaimed firearms
Sources
- AB 1974 bill text and legislative history, 2025–2026 Regular Session (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Legislative trackers: LegiScan, BillTrack50 — committee actions and vote counts
- NRA-ILA California legislative updates, July 29, 2026; Second Amendment Foundation Grassroots Legislative Report
Educational information only, not legal advice. Bill text can change at every stop — verify current language before acting.