Firearms: felons in possession.

Existing law provides that any person convicted of a felony under the laws of the United States, the State of California, or any other state or country, and who owns, purchases, receives, or has in possession or under custody or control any firearm is guilty of a felony. Existing law prescribes the punishment for that felony as imprisonment for a term of 16 months, or 2 or 3 years in the state prison. This bill would provide that the punishment for subsequent convictions of that felony would be imprisonment for a term of 4, 5, or 6 years in the state prison. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make additional technical, nonsubstantive changes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.