Firearms: gun-free school zone.

Existing law, the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995, subject to exceptions, prohibits a person from possessing a firearm in a place that the person knows, or reasonably should know, is a school zone, unless with the written permission of certain school district officials. Existing law defines a school zone as an area on the grounds of a school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or within a distance of 1,000 feet of that school. Existing law prohibits a person from bringing or possessing a firearm upon the grounds of a campus of a public or private university or college, or buildings owned or operated for student housing, teaching, research, or administration by a public or private university or college, that are contiguous or are clearly marked university property, as specified, unless with the written permission of specified university or college officials. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is a felony, or, under specified circumstances, a misdemeanor. Under existing law, certain persons are exempt from both the school zone and the university prohibitions, including, among others, a person holding a valid license to carry a concealed firearm and a retired peace officer authorized to carry a concealed or loaded firearm. This bill would recast the provisions relating to a person holding a valid license to carry a concealed firearm to allow that person to carry a firearm in an area that is within 1,000 feet of, but not on the grounds of, a public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would also delete the exemption that allows a person holding a valid license to carry a concealed firearm to bring or possess a firearm on the campus of a university or college. The bill would create an additional exemption from those prohibitions for certain appointed peace officers who are authorized to carry a firearm by their appointing agency, and an exemption for certain retired reserve peace officers who are authorized to carry a concealed or loaded firearm. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. Existing law, subject to exceptions, prohibits carrying ammunition or reloaded ammunition onto school grounds unless it is with the written permission of the school district superintendent, the superintendent's designee, or equivalent school authority. This bill would reorganize those exceptions. The bill would delete the exemption that allows a person to carry ammunition or reloaded ammunition onto school grounds if the person is licensed to carry a concealed firearm. The bill would also create an additional exception to that prohibition by authorizing a person to carry ammunition or reloaded ammunition onto school grounds if it is in a motor vehicle at all times and is within a locked container or within the locked trunk of the vehicle. 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.