Firearms: tracing.

Existing law directs law enforcement agencies, as defined, to submit the description of a firearm that has been reported stolen, lost, found, recovered, or under observation directly to an automated Department of Justice system. Existing law also requires these law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Justice any information in their possession necessary to identify and trace the history of a recovered firearm that is illegally possessed, has been used in a crime, or is suspected of having been used in a crime. Existing law requires the department to maintain this data for at least 10 years and make it available, as specified, for academic and research purposes. This bill would require the department to analyze the data as specified and, by no later than January 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, submit a report to the Legislature summarizing this analysis, and make the report available to the public.