Prohibited weapons: nunchaku.

Existing law categorizes certain weapons, including nunchaku, as a generally prohibited weapon, and, except as specified, subjects a person who manufactures, imports, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes for sale, or who gives, lends, or possesses any nunchaku to imprisonment in a county jail, as specified. Existing law also declares nunchaku to be a nuisance and authorizes the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney to bring an action to enjoin any of the activities stated above. This bill would remove nunchaku from the list of generally prohibited weapons and repeal its designation as a nuisance. This bill would make possession and manufacture of nunchaku by persons confined in a penal institution a felony, but would otherwise allow the purchase, possession, and use of a nunchaku by a person for self-defense purposes, with the exception of a person convicted of a felony or a crime involving an assault or a person who is addicted to any narcotic drug. Additionally, this bill would prohibit a person from selling or furnishing a nunchaku to a minor unless the minor attends a school that teaches the art of self-defense. By establishing new crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.