Newsom signs bill allowing prosecutors to seek gun violence restraining orders in select counties

A bill that would allow California prosecutors to help quickly take firearms away from people who pose a threat has been signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Assembly Bill 1344, introduced by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) and sponsored by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, would create a pilot program in Alameda, El Dorado, Santa Clara and Ventura counties.

The measure would give district attorneys the authority to directly seek Gun Violence Restraining Orders, or GVROs, commonly known as red flag laws.

Red flag laws allow certain individuals — typically family members or law enforcement — to ask a judge to temporarily remove firearms from someone considered a threat to themselves or others. Under current law, prosecutors cannot directly file for GVROs.

The pilot program would run until Jan. 1, 2032. 

“This is a significant law for community safety,” Nasarenko said in a statement. “Prosecutors are uniquely positioned and qualified to seek these restraining orders to prevent gun violence, and I thank Assemblymember Irwin for championing this much-needed legislation.”

The legislation also requires annual reports, starting in 2027, to be submitted to the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis. The reports would track GVRO data and outcomes to inform future policy decisions.