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San Jose will soon require liability insurance for gun owners.
ABC Seven reports the City Council has approved a proposal by Mayor Sam Liccardo to require that gun owners purchase insurance and also pay an annual fee. The council split the decision into two parts - approving insurance provisions, and then approval of the provisional fees recommended in the vote. Liccardo brought forth the proposals last year following the mass shooting at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard , looking to prioritize gun safety by reducing the risk of gun harm and incentivizing safe behavior.
Mayor Liccardo also ensures the measure would be a financial ease for taxpayers, and estimates that San Jose residents incur almost $442 million in gun-related costs yearly. Gun rights supporters oppose the vote, saying there will be lawsuits pending to block the measure if it becomes law. According to a Gallup poll conducted in late 2021, only 52% of Americans said "laws covering the sales of firearms" should be stricter.
It is not yet known when the law will take effect - the ordinance must be approved next month in order to take effect as early as August 2022.