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Senate committee advances broad protective‑order reforms to tighten firearm prohibitions and access
Summary
AB 17 53, the "Survivor Pathways to Safety Act," advanced to Judiciary after sponsors said it improves enforcement of protective orders, strengthens firearm prohibitions and expands remote hearings; opponents warned it risks due‑process harms and questioned length of firearm‑ban windows.
Assemblymember Stephanie presented AB 17 53, a package of reforms aimed at strengthening enforcement of protective orders, clarifying firearm relinquishment procedures, expanding remote‑hearing access, and aligning firearm prohibitions across types of protection orders.
"Our protective order system must work," the author said, recounting cases she described as failures of enforcement that left survivors at risk. Ethan Murray of Giffords and Rebecca Marcus of Brady described the bill as the latest step in the legislature's multi‑year effort to improve protective‑order enforcement, including adding consistent relinquishment procedures and ensuring prosecutors have processing policies for noncompliance.
Opposition testimony included the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, who argued the bill expands consequences of restraining orders without sufficient due‑process protections. A representative for those groups said the measure risks one‑sided procedures that can lead to individuals losing rights before they have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
Committee members debated the statute's length of firearm prohibitions (10 years versus proposals for five years), the administrative capacity to enforce relinquishment, and the availability of DOJ or local teams to do door‑to‑door retrievals. After discussion and noting unresolved conflicts with a separate bill in analysis, the committee passed AB 17 53 as amended to the Judiciary Committee.
