Why It Matters: As the California legislature returns from its spring recess, lawmakers continue to place legislation on the docket that could impact the rights and privileges of sportsmen and women across the state. Several bills moving through the legislature this year would affect firearm ownership, hunter safety regulations, and youth participation in hunting and fishing traditions. These include Senate Bill 948, Senate Bill 1021, and Assembly Bill 1912, which the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has been tracking closely.
Highlights:
- Senate Bill 948 (SB 948) would require individuals purchasing, selling, or transferring firearms to complete an eight-hour firearm training course that includes live-fire instruction.
- Senate Bill 1021 (SB 1021) would establish a program to increase hunting and fishing opportunities for youth with life-threatening illnesses.
- Assembly Bill 1912 (AB 1912) would allow bowhunters to carry a concealed firearm while archery hunting during deer season.
The 2026 legislative session in California is well underway, and several sportsmen-related bills are already advancing through the legislature. The first is SB 948, which would expand the requirements to purchase, sell, or transfer a firearm in California by mandating individuals complete an eight-hour firearm training course, including live-fire instruction, beginning July 1, 2028. Currently, individuals seeking to purchase, sell, or transfer a firearm in California must possess a valid hunting license or provide proof of completion of an approved firearm safety course. This bill would also prohibit individuals moving to California from bringing firearms into the state if they did not obtain a valid firearm safety certificate within 60 days of establishing residency. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation submitted written testimony in opposition to SB 948 in the Senate Committee on Appropriations, where the bill was placed on the suspense file. While bills may still be taken off the suspense file and continue through the legislative process, CSF remains hopeful that the bill will remain held in committee.
Another sportsmen-related bill is Assembly Bill 1912, introduced by Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus Member Assemblymember Heather Hadwick and coauthored by many other Caucus members. This bill would allow individuals hunting deer during the archery season to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense. Currently, California restricts archery hunters from carrying firearms while afield. The right to personal protection should not be relinquished while bowhunting. Archery equipment presents clear limitations in self-defense situations, particularly in areas inhabited by large predators such as bears and mountain lions. AB 1912 has crossed over from the Assembly to the Senate and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water.
Senate Bill 1021, championed by Outdoor Sporting Caucus member Senator Steven Choi and coauthored by several other Caucus members, would require the California Fish and Game Commission to establish a program increasing opportunities for resident youth with life-threatening illnesses to fish and hunt big game, wild pigs, upland game birds, and migratory game birds. The legislation would also require collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in developing the program. Programs providing hunting and fishing opportunities for youth facing life-threatening illnesses have long existed across the country through partnerships with conservation and sporting organizations. These opportunities offer meaningful outdoor experiences while introducing participants and their families to America’s sporting traditions and conservation community. SB 1021 was referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations and placed on the suspense file.
CSF will continue to work with the California Outdoor Sporting Caucus to protect and advance California’s sporting traditions for future generations.