Information access: research institutions: firearms.

Existing law outlines the procedures for agencies to follow in the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of personal information, as defined, in order to protect the privacy of individuals. Existing law generally prohibits an agency from disclosing any personal information in a manner that would link the information disclosed to the individual to whom it pertains. Existing law permits the disclosure of that information to the University of California or a nonprofit educational institution, under specified conditions. Existing law establishes a center for research into firearm-related violence, administered by the University of California, to conduct research with a mission to provide the scientific evidence on which sound firearm violence prevention policies can be based, as specified. Existing law collects various data relating to crimes and firearms, including, among other things, criminal history information, a database of gun violence restraining orders, and a database of firearm precursor parts purchases. Existing law makes the unauthorized furnishing of criminal history information a crime. Existing law, as amended by the Safety for All Act of 2016, an initiative statute approved by voters as Proposition 63 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, created a database of ammunition purchases and made that database confidential. Proposition 63 allows its provisions to be amended by a vote of 55% of the Legislature so long as the amendments are consistent with, and further the intent of, the act. This bill would name the center for research into firearm-related violence the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis. The bill would generally require that the information above be made available to researchers affiliated with the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis, and, at the department's discretion, be made available to any other nonprofit bona fide research institution or public agency concerned with the study and prevention of violence, for academic and policy research purposes. The bill would require that material identifying individuals only be provided for research or statistical activities, and require that information to only be used for those purposes and for reports or publications derived from that information to not identify specific individuals. By providing access to criminal history information, the unauthorized furnishing of which is a crime, this bill would expand a crime and create a state-mandated local program. The bill would additionally require the Department of Justice to establish procedures for these requests, as specified. 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.