Jerry Brown signs bill banning concealed handguns on California campuses

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Saturday that bans concealed firearms from all school campuses.

Current state law makes it illegal to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a public or private school, but it exempts those with concealed carry permits. Senate Bill 707, by Democratic Sen. Lois Wolk, expands that prohibition to include concealed weapons, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The legislation includes an exemption for honorably retired law enforcement officers and reserve officers, who may carry a concealed firearm if authorized by their former agency. It also allows for police chiefs or school districts to adopt their own policies that may allow a concealed firearm on campus if they deem it appropriate.

“This bill puts control of firearms on campus grounds squarely where it belongs, with those public safety officials responsible for the safety of our students and staff on school or college campuses,” Democratic Assemblyman Bill Dodd, who carried the measure on the Assembly Floor, said in a statement following the State Assembly’s vote on Sept. 1.

Mr. Brown signed SB 707 without comment, making California the 20th state to ban campus carry, the Sacramento Bee reported. It is legal in eight states, including Oregon, where a gunman killed nine people Oct. 1 at Umpqua Community College.