California bill would allow suicidal citizens to ban themselves from getting guns

Under a newly proposed California bill, suicidal Californians would be permitted to place themselves on lists that would electively block them from being able to purchase firearms.

What's the bill all about?

According to the SF Gate, the bill — AB 1927 — was introduced Wednesday by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D) and would allow residents who believe they are at risk for suicidal tendencies to submit their names to the state office that conducts background checks for firearm purchases.

The name submission would be done on a voluntary and confidential basis, and completed on the internet.

Any citizens who submitted their names for the list — titled, the California Do Not Sell List — would not be legally permitted to purchase a firearm.

Also, "the bill would make it a crime, punishable as misdemeanor or a felony, to transfer a firearm to a person who is validly registered on the California Do Not Sell List," according to verbiage contained within the proposed bill.

In order to have one's name removed from the list, the resident would have to file a petition with California Superior Court and provide proof that he or she is no longer an elevated suicide risk.

Anything else?

Bonta, in a statement, said, "We know suicide can be an impulsive decision that most survivors regret. Guns are lethal and, unfortunately, rarely allow for second chances."

Even though there's a 10-day waiting period to lawfully purchase firearms in California, Bonta maintains that most people who commit suicide with a gun do it within days of obtaining one.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1,000 Californians took their own lives by the use of a firearm in 2015, Bonta noted.

The SF Gate reported that gun-control advocate Ari Freilich of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence supported the proposed legislation.

"We support legislation that would empower people struggling with suicidal urges to promote their own health and safety in moments of calm and clarity by voluntarily adding their names to confidential gun background-check databases for a temporary period," Freilich said.