Firearms: unsafe handguns.

Assembly Member Patterson's legislation modifies training and storage requirements for peace officers using unsafe handguns as service weapons in California county probation departments. The bill allows probation officers to meet qualification standards by completing the firearms portion of training prescribed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), removing the previous January 1, 2021 completion deadline.

The measure extends existing vehicle storage mandates to additional personnel carrying unsafe handguns. When leaving such weapons in unattended vehicles, officers must secure them in the trunk, in a locked container out of view, or in a permanently mounted locked container. Violations incur fines up to $1,000, though exceptions exist for peace officers responding to immediate emergencies. Local ordinances enacted before 2017 that regulate handgun storage in vehicles remain in effect.

The Department of Justice maintains oversight through a database tracking unsafe handguns obtained under statutory exemptions. Entities possessing these weapons must report sales or transfers within 72 hours. The department must notify current and future possessors about restrictions on selling or transferring unsafe handguns. While the bill creates new local enforcement obligations, it specifies that state reimbursement is not required since the changes modify existing criminal provisions.