California Gun Confiscations

On May 1, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that allows law enforcement to confiscate handguns and assault rifles from Californians who bought the weapons legally but have since had a disqualifying "criminal conviction or serious mental illness."

Legislators believe up to 20,000 Californians will fall under this law, which could mean up to 40,000 weapons need to be confiscated. The legislation "allocates $24 million in surplus funds" to hire "dozens of special agents" to help recover the weapons.

Since California keeps a database of gun owners, they know where every gun is--or where it's supposed to be--and they'll use that database to locate them.

Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) said the money California has spent to maintain a "tracking program" on firearms has paid off and is now giving the lawmakers "the opportunity to confiscate [these guns]."

No word on when the confiscation will begin.