Governor Signs Berman Bill to Improve California’s Nation-Leading Firearm Laws

SACRAMENTO, CA - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), to update California's lifesaving firearm laws to align with recent Supreme Court decisions.

Sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, AB 1078 establishes a new purchasing limit of three guns per 30 days to prevent gun trafficking, and updates California's concealed carry weapons (CCW) laws to align with recent Supreme Court decisions.

"So far in 2025, one person has been killed by gun violence every thirty-five minutes, which is absolutely unacceptable. With the signing of AB 1078, California has strengthened our nation-leading firearm laws that save thousands of lives every year," said Assemblymember Marc Berman. "I am proud to have partnered with Attorney General Bonta, and thank Governor Newsom for signing this bill to protect and strengthen California's strong firearm laws and further prevent gun violence."

"Thanks to our strong and effective gun violence prevention laws, California has one of the lowest rates of firearms deaths in the nation," said Attorney General Bonta. "But our work is far from over; Even one life lost to gun violence is one too many. AB 1078 provides critical updates to California's CCW and firearms laws to align with recent case law while continuing to promote public safety. This measure will help California maintain its leadership role in enacting commonsense gun-safety laws, while respecting Second Amendment rights. I'm grateful to Assemblymember Berman for his continued leadership on gun violence prevention."

In 2022, the Supreme Court issued its decision in New York Rifle Association v Bruen, creating the new text-and-history test for evaluating Second Amendment cases, and requiring that any regulation of firearms be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. After Bruen, California enacted Senate Bill 2 (Portantino, 2023), following the Supreme Court's guidance and revising California's CCW laws.

Since the enactment of SB 2, many of its provisions have been challenged by lower courts, and the Supreme Court has since provided more guidance for use of the text-and-history test, with its decision in United States v Rahimi.

This new law will address these recent legal challenges by updating California's CCW laws to align with recent court cases, enhancing public safety, while respecting Second Amendment rights.

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