San Jose lawmakers advance nation’s first gun ownership requirements

Lawmakers in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday advanced the nation’s first gun ownership requirements.

The San Jose City Council voted in support of a measure that would require most gun owners in the city to obtain liability insurance, according to The Associated Press.

Though several Democratic-led cities have reportedly proposed similar measures, San Jose is poised to become the first to pass one, according to national nonprofit Brady United, which advocates against gun violence, the AP noted.

The ordinance is set for final approval in February and would take effect in August, CNN reported. Those who support gun rights have said that they are prepared to battle the measure in court if it becomes law.

Under the measure, nearly 55,000 households in which residents own at least one registered gun would be required to have liability insurance, which would encourage them to take gun safety classes, have gun safes and install trigger locks, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo (D) said, according to AP.

Liability insurance would reportedly also cover damages and losses that could result from accidental use of a firearm. The owner of a lost or stolen firearm would additionally still be considered liable until the theft or loss is reported to the police.

The mayor also noted that gun owners in the city who do not obtain insurance wouldn’t face criminal charges or lose their guns, the news service reported.

“This won’t stop mass shootings and keep bad people from committing violent crime,” the mayor reportedly said, adding that the majority of gun deaths occur as a result of accidental shootings, suicide or even domestic violence.

Gun violence has cost taxpayers in San Jose nearly $40 million a year in emergency response services, the mayor added.