California Assembly Bill AB225 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 225INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Melendez FEBRUARY 3, 2015 An act to amend Section 18200 of the Penal Code, relating to gun violence restraining orders. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 225, as introduced, Melendez. Gun violence restraining orders: offenses. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to file a petition for an ex parte gun violence restraining order or a gun violence restraining order issued after notice and a hearing knowing the information in the petition to be false or with the intent to harass. This bill would instead provide that it is perjury, a felony punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 2, 3, or 4 years, to file a petition for one of those gun violence restraining orders knowing the information in the petition to be false. By increasing the penalty for existing 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. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 18200 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 18200.  (a)    Every person who files a petition for an ex parte gun violence restraining order pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 18150) or a gun violence restraining order issued after notice and a hearing pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18170),  knowing the information in the petition to be false or  with the intent to harass, is guilty of a misdemeanor.  (b) Every person who files a petition for an ex parte gun violence restraining order pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 18150) or a gun violence restraining order issued after notice and a hearing pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18170), knowing the information in the petition to be false, is guilty of perjury and punishable pursuant to Section 126.  SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.