Table of Contents
December 31th, 2012 - 2012 has been a very active year for the Airsoft Safety Foundation
December 14th, 2012 - Our hearts go out to the loved ones and the families affected by this horrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.
November 2nd, 2012 - The Airsoft Safety Foundation congratulates CORE-CA
September 1st, 2012 - Please call Governor Brown in support of AB 2333
August 3rd, 2012 - Please call if you haven't already and Say NO on SB1315!
April 20th, 2012 - California Voters! Call Your State Senator and Ask for NO on SB1315!
April 16th, 2012 - SB1315 Goes to the CA Senate Public Safety Committee to Vote
January 10th, 2012 - Politicians in New Jersey have introduced two new bills
September 2nd, 2011 - Message to all California Airsoft Retailers
August 26th, 2011 - LEGISLATIVE ALERT – IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED
August 17th, 2011 - The California legislature is back in session.
June 30th, 2011 - !!!SAVE OUR HOBBY! JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST CA BILL SB798!!!
June 17th, 2011 - SB 798 WOULD RESTRICT AIRGUNS AND AIRSOFT GUNS: PROMOTE PAINT BALL GUNS
June 16th, 2011 - Media Submission – If Passed, CA S.B. 798 Will Hurt Public Safety/Law Enforcement
June 10th, 2011 - An Open Letter To Media Regarding CA Senate Bill 798
June 1st, 2011 - Support the ASF and Preserve Airsoft! 
2012 has been a very active year for the Airsoft Safety Foundation.
December 31, 2012
2012 has been a very active year for the Airsoft Safety Foundation. Over the last year, ASF has worked with politicians in Sacramento, with government officials at the local level in many different cities in California, as well as with numerous different law enforcement organizations, all in an effort to promote the safe use of airsoft products in the United States.
In the next year, the Airsoft Safety Foundation will be focusing on safety education, training, universal safety guidelines, and promoting laws and regulations that make recreational airsoft safer. We look forward to working with leaders in communities all across the United States as well as with the men and women of law enforcement to keep airsoft alive and well for all Americans.
The Airsoft Safety Foundation would like to thank everyone for their support throughout 2012 and we hope everybody has a wonderful and a safe holiday season.
Our hearts go out to the loved ones and the families affected by this horrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.
December 14, 2012
Today at the Airsoft Safety Foundation our hearts are broken. Words cannot express the sadness and sorrow that we feel. Our hearts go out to the loved ones and the families affected by this horrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. As an organization whose primary focus is on safety and respect, right now we are trying to make sense of what happened and find some way to give comfort to our fellow Americans.
The Airsoft Safety Foundation congratulates CORE-CA
November 2, 2012
The Airsoft Safety Foundation congratulates CORE-CA’s distinguished honorees for the recognition of their exemplary record of commitment to community service:
Sheriff Leroy D. Baca
Senator Curren D. Price, Jr.
Senator Roderick D. Wright
Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, Pro Tem
Assemblyman Steve Bradford
Assemblyman Curt Hagman
Organizations like CORE-CA cannot exist effectively without the support and partnership of the officials, both individually and collectively, like those that are being honored. We thank them for their commendable history of achievements and service to the community and wish them continued success in making California the greatest state in the Union.
The Airsoft Safety Foundation (ASF) is composed of many California based companies which employ hundreds of Californians. Our collective mission is to enhance and promote the safe sport of airsoft through training, education, and outreach here in California as well as through industry-wide initiatives, such as the development of safe ASTM standards for airsoft products and the development of standardized safety materials and warnings.
Please call Governor Brown in support of AB 2333
August 31, 2012
LEGISLATIVE ALERT!!!
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
AB 2333 (Solorio) BB Devices
AB 2333 is currently on the Governor’s Desk. Your immediate action supporting this bill and encouraging Governor’s Brown’s signature on this measure is imperative! PLEASE ACT NOW AS THE GOVERNOR COULD ACT AT ANY TIME FROM NOW UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH!
AB 2333 would ban BB devices from school property and would impose harsher penalties against those who would bring them onto school property. The purpose of AB 2333 is to encourage the safe storage of BB devices in order to prevent confrontations with law enforcement and others who might believe that the minor is holding a real firearm. The intent is to help keep children out of harm’s way.
Please contact the Governor’s Office NOW regarding AB 2333, express your support, and ask for his signature on this bill.
E-Mail: http://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php
Phone: 916-445-2841
FAX: 916-558-3160
Thank you for contacting the Governor’s Office on AB 2333
Press Release August 3rd, 2012
No on SB1315!
CA residents! Please call if you haven't already. And if you have, please call again! We appreciate your past and present efforts! Every time we defeat these bills, they just keep re-introducing them with changes.
First Los Angeles, next California…
SB1315, the bill designed to allow a ban of Airsoft in Los Angeles County, is eligible for vote in the California Assembly on August 6. If it passes in Los Angeles, you can be sure it will happen all over California next year. WE NEED YOU to call YOUR Assemblyperson’s office and tell them “NO to SB1315!”.
Step 1: Find your ASSEMBLYPERSON’s office info here using your zip code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Step 2: Call the Assemblyperson’s two Capitol and District offices
Step 3: Tell the person answering the phone “My name is [first name], I live in zip code [XXXXX], and I want my Assemblyperson to vote NO to SB1315!”
That’s all you need to do to help save Airsoft in California! Added together, your phone calls will add up to one of the strongest grassroots campaigns this state has ever seen! Do YOUR part NOW to save Airsoft. If you are not a California resident, please do not call! If you are a California resident, then call your Assemblyperson now!
Call in Instructions:
ATTENTION ALL BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY SB1315, here are links to form letters that you need to personalize and send to your assemblyman and California Governor Jerry Brown:
SB1315_LETTER_TO_ASSEMBLY_MEMBER.DOCX
SB1315_LETTER_TO_GOVERNOR.DOCX
Article:
This article addresses the flaws in SB1315 as well as the economic impact that the passage of SB1315 may have on California:
California_looks_to_restrict_Airsoft_users_2nd_Amendment_at_risk_some_say_K_Dvorak_7-3-12.pdf
Press Release April 20th, 2012
CALIFORNIA AIRSOFTERS!
CALL YOUR CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON SB1315!
SB1315 will cause great confusion regarding where you can own and use Airsoft guns in California, and ultimately lead to the elimination of our sport as we know it!
Find your Senator with the following links:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/sen-addresses.html
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Press Release April 16th, 2012
Los Angeles, CA (April 16, 2012) - Airsoft is once again in need of defense in California. SB798 was a great learning experience for both sides, airsoft players are now aware of how to defend their liberties but Senator De Leon learned something as well... Now that Senator Kevin De Leon knows what he's up against he is taking a new approach to ruin airsoft. SB1315 is a bill that attempts to exclude Los Angeles county from existing state law so that the county can enact it's own laws with regards to imitation firearms. This is a classic divide and conquer tactic. The bill is scheduled to be heard by the California Senate Public Safety Committee on April 17th. The Airsoft Safety Foundation urges all California voters to call the members of the Senate Public Safety Committee and request a no vote. The names of the Senators and their office phone numbers are listed below, thank you for your support, let's keep airsoft alive!
Hancock (916) 651-4009
Anderson (951) 676-1020
Calderon (916) 651-4030
Harman (916) 651-4035
Liu (916) 651-4021
Price (916) 651-4026
Steinberg (916)651-4006
Press Release January 10th, 2012
Los Angeles, CA (January 10, 2012) - Politicians in New Jersey have introduced two bills which will severely limit the airsoft industry in the Garden State. Senate Bill S810(formerly S454) attempts to classify “airsoft” or “any projectile with sufficient force to injure a person” as firearms. This would make airsoft, and possibly other industries as well, subject to some of the strictest gun laws in the entire country. People over the age of 21 would have to obtain a permit to purchase and own airsoft guns, as well as passing a criminal background check, and not be subject to any disqualifications for firearm ownership, which in itself is a massive list of restraints preventing Americans from buying and owning airsoft guns. This bill is sponsored by Senator Bob Smith and co-sponsored by Senator Nicholas P. Scutari.
Misclassifying airsoft guns as firearms is not only wrong, but is also an unnecessary burden on ordinary citizens, and a massive waste of government resources during a time of economic hardship.
This will be a crushing blow to the airsoft industry in NJ & eventually all over the United States. We ask that you support our efforts in defeating this bill in NJ! We hope that airsoft players from around the country will support the right to buy and play airsoft in NJ. Vote No On NJ S810!
Press Release September 2nd, 2011
Los Angeles, CA (September 2, 2011) - This message goes out to all California airsoft retailers. We can kill SB798 on Tuesday in the Safety Committee hearing if we speak up about the negative financial impacts of this bill. Peter Ho, the President of The Airsoft Safety Foundation, is going to Sacramento, CA at 1:00p.m. Tuesday, September 6, 2011. All airsoft retailers are urged to join him at this time to discuss the financial ramifications of SB798. Please email [email protected] for more information or to coordinate.
Press Release August 26th, 2011
Los Angeles, CA (August 26th, 2011) - SB 798 (De León) Imitation firearms: regulation - would have required Airsoft, BB and Pellet guns to be brightly colored in their entirety, just like toys.
The bill failed passage in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety, largely because federal law preempts state laws affecting airsoft, paintball, BB, and pellet guns (BB devices).
Reconsideration was granted by the committee, and the bill was subsequently amended in an attempt to get around the federal preemption issue.
All previous language was stricken from the bill and, in its place, a repeal of the state preemption over local laws dealing with the manufacture, sale, and possession of BB devices was inserted. If passed in this form, each local government could adopt different ordinances governing the above, except for coloration, identification marks, and a prohibition on sales to adults, which are federally preempted. Recently, SB 798 was further amended to exempt paint ball guns, but not airsoft, BB, or pellet guns. As currently amended, it would provide a marketing advantage to paint ball over the other BB devices.
The good news is that this bill was re-referred back to the Assembly Public Safety Committee from the Assembly Floor which has slowed down the bills progress through the Legislature. But your action is still needed!
Position: Oppose; Status: Referred by the Assembly Floor back to the Assembly Public Safety Committee for another hearing due to the paint ball gun amendments.
No hearing has been granted yet. If the bill is to progress, it must be heard prior to September 9, the end of session. Please contact one of the members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee if you live in his/her district to make sure SB 798 stays in this committee!
CONTACT IN OPPOSITION TO SB 798:
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY MEMBERS:
| Democratic Assemblymembers: | Republican Assemblymembers: |
|---|---|
| Chair: Tom Ammiano (San Francisco) 916-319-2013 Gilbert Cedillo (Los Angeles) 916-319-2045 Jerry Hill (South San Francisco) 916-319-2019 Holly Mitchell (Los Angeles) 916-319-2047 Nancy Skinner (Berkeley) 916-319-2014 |
Vice-Chair: Stephen Knight (Lancaster) 916-319-2036 Curt Hagman (Chino Hills) 916-319-2060 |
Not sure if one of these committee members is your representative?
Please go to http://192.234.213.69/amapsearch/framepage.asp.
Scroll down the map of California and enter your street address, city and zip code in the boxes below; click on “Find”. Your assemblymember and contact information will then be available. Compare the name listed to the names above.
If the names match, contact that person immediately and express your opposition to SB 798!
Sample Letter to: 
Skinner | Mitchell | Hill | Cedillo | Ammiano
Thank you for contacting your legislators!
Press Release August 17th, 2011
Los Angeles, CA (August 17th, 2011) - The Airsoft Safety Foundation is 100% committed to the safe and respectful use of Airsoft guns. As such, ASF has been working behind the scenes for the past few months to protect our sport and fight against SB798.
The California legislature is back in session as of Monday August 15th and with the return of our politicians comes the renewed threat of a vote on SB798. What is more pressing is that a vote on SB798 can happen anytime the Assembly is in session and without any warning whatsoever.
Make no mistake; Senator Kevin De Leon’s SB798 is a complicated, head-scratching piece of legislation that may cause a lot of politicians to vote along party lines simply because they don't understand its implications. The whole thing may boil down to something as simple as "I've got 100 NO letters from my constituents on this bill, so I'm going to vote no". That's why the letters will be crucial.
So remember, get started on writing more letters. We need letters from ordinary Airsoft enthusiasts and businesses that will be affected by similar patchwork regulation. But more importantly, these letters must be SIGNED and RETURN ADDRESSED otherwise they will be IGNORED. Your letters should include your full name, a few paragraphs explaining your opposition to SB798, a signature, and your return address on the letter AND outside of the envelope.
Please make sure to be respectful and to the point because each and every letter represents our community as a whole.
CLICK THIS LINK TO FIND YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CLICK THIS LINK TO FIND YOUR STATE SENATOR
CLICK THIS LINK LOCATE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE BY ZIP CODE
The following state representatives have been identified as being reasonable and open to their constituent’s thoughts and concerns. Below is a link to each assembly member’s website. So, if you are represented by the following public servants it is very important that you write them a letter as soon as possible:
| District | Assembly Member | Contact |
|
1 - Arcata |
Wesley Chesbro (D) |
District Address: |
|
5 - Sacramento |
Richard Pan (D) |
District Address: |
|
10 - El Dorado Hills |
Alyson Huber (R) |
Capitol Address: |
|
12 - San Francisco |
Fiona Ma (D) |
District Address: |
|
17 - Stockton |
Cathleen Galgiani (D) |
District Address: |
|
19 - San Mateo |
Jerry Hill (D) |
District Address: |
|
22 - Sunnyvale |
Paul Fong (D) |
District Address: |
|
23 - San Jose |
Nora Campos (D) |
District Address: |
|
24 - San Jose |
Jim Beall (D) |
District Address: |
|
43 - Burbank |
Mike Gatto (D) |
District Address: |
|
45 - Los Angeles |
Gil Cedillo (D) |
District Address: |
|
52 - Compton |
Isadore Hall, III (D) |
District Address: |
|
56 - Artesia |
Tony Mendoza (D) |
District Address: |
|
58 - Whittier |
Charles Calderon (D) |
District Address: |
|
78 - San Diego |
Martin Block (D) |
District Address: |
|
79 - San Diego |
Ben Hueso (D) |
District Address: |
|
80 - Coachella |
V. Manuel Perez (D) |
District Address: |
One thing we as a community have learned from the Public Safety hearings on SB798 and having rank and file Airsoft enthusiasts from all across California turn out in massive numbers, is that we can do this.
The only way SB798 will pass is if we stand by and do nothing and that’s not going to happen.
!!!SAVE OUR HOBBY! JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST CA BILL SB798!!!
SB798 JUNE 30, 2011 UPDATE - URGENT
New SB 798 as Amended Cedes Authority to Local Governments
CA Assembly Committee Hearing in on July 5, 2011
YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED
(click to read more)
Details:
SB 798 (de Leon) Firearms: BB devices: imitation firearms has been amended and will be brought up for reconsideration by the California Assembly Committee on Public Safety next Tuesday (July 5).
Since this is a reconsideration hearing, State Senator Kevin DeLeon will be allowed to present his amendments to SB 798, but there will be no public support or opposition testimony allowed. We are desperately trying to get the committee to allow the public to take part in this important legislative hearing process!
The amendments completely void all language in the current bill and include a repeal of the existing state preemption ordinance which regulates imitation firearms, including airsoft guns, paintball guns, BB guns and pellet guns (Government Code Section 53071.5).
If state preemption, which prohibits localities from passing their own gun control measures, is over-ridden here, the door will be open for municipalities across the state to write their own gun control ordinances affecting ALL types of firearms!
- This would create criminals out of law-abiding citizens for merely turning down the 'wrong' street and crossing over a city border.
- Furthermore, by enacting such laws, cities would be able to apply business killing regulations on lawful firearms retailers.
State preemption laws mandate equal treatment of all state residents and MUST remain intact in order to provide uniform statewide firearms laws and prevent localities from creating a patchwork of different firearms-related ordinances.
More info - http://www.nssf.org/share/blastLinks/CA-ActionAlert.htm
Please contact your legislators today! Tell them to oppose SB 798 as currently amended!
PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING NOW IN OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL!
1. THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
Democratic Assemblymembers:
Tom Ammiano (Chairman -San Francisco)
(916) 319-2013 [email protected]
Gilbert Cedillo (Los Angeles)
(916) 319-2045 [email protected]
Nancy Skinner (Berkeley)
(916) 319-2014 [email protected]
Jerry Hill (South San Francisco)
(916) 319-2019 [email protected]
Holly Mitchell (Los Angeles)
(916) 319-2047 [email protected]
Republican Assemblymembers:
Stephen Knight (Vice-Chairman - Lancaster)
(916) 319-2036 [email protected]
Curt Hagman (Chino Hills)
(916) 319-2060 [email protected]
2. YOUR OWN ASSEMBLYMEMBER AND SENATOR:
A list of assemblymembers can be found at:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/asm-addresses.html
A list of senators can be found at:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/sen-addresses.html
TO LOCATE YOUR LEGISLATOR BY YOUR ZIP CODE:
Please go to http://192.234.213.69/amapsearch/framepage.asp.
Scroll down the map of California and enter your street address, city and zip code in the boxes below; click on “Find”. Your assemblymember and contact information will then be available.
AFTER YOU CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS
MARCH ON THE CAPITOL JULY 5
Meet at the State Capitol on Tuesday, July 5.
You may not be able to testify at the 9:30 a.m. hearing but what you can do is:
- Visit your Assemblymember and Senator before the hearing
- Let them know what you think about SB 798, as now amended.
Press Release June 17th, 2011
Press Release SB 798 WOULD RESTRICT AIRGUNS AND AIRSOFT GUNS: PROMOTE PAINT BALL GUNS
Press Release June 17, 2011
Contacts:
Peter Ho, Spartan Imports, (650) 589 5501, www.spartanimports.com
John S. Steele, President, SoftAir USA, (480) 330-3358
Steven Danekas, representing Crosman Corporation, Gamo Outdoor USA, Umarex USA, and S/R Industries (Marksman & Beeman), (312) 923-8273
PROMOTE PAINT BALL GUNS
Proposed legislation sponsored by the Los Angeles Police Department will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety next week that would require real guns to be colored like toys, thus endangering the public and law enforcement officers who would be misled into believing that they are harmless.
The proposal, SB 798 (De Leon) BB devices: imitation firearms, would require Airsoft, BB and Pellet guns to be brightly colored in their entirety, just like toys. These are real guns that if improperly used can result in serious injury or, with BB and pellet guns, even death.
Federal law requires airsoft type guns to have orange muzzles, only. It completely exempts paintball, BB and pellet guns from any coloration in recognition of the fact that they are relatively powerful and should be treated as being potentially dangerous.
Curiously, SB 798 was recently amended to exempt paint ball guns from the proposed state coloration requirement while still mandating that the potentially more dangerous BB guns and pellet guns be colored like toys.
Why the Los Angeles Police Department would want to exempt paint ball guns from coloration and not the more powerful BB and pellet guns, thus giving the paint ball industry a competitive advantage in the marketplace, remains unexplained. It is also unexplained why a public agency would interfere with lawful private commerce in a manner that would not be of benefit to law enforcement.
SB 798 would also result in a huge, unjustifiable loss of income for private businesses, a loss of jobs and a loss of tax revenue for government. For the Airsoft industry alone, this would amount to approximately $175 million in lost business revenue and close to 300 direct jobs in California. California’s economy would further suffer from the loss of related business revenue in office supplies, transportation services, food services, printing services, and other economic venues.
Exempting paintball guns from SB 798 would have comparatively little impact on the economic and job losses that would be suffered as a result of the bill and, in fact, would make such losses even worse by favoring one type of BB device over its competitors.
SB 798 has been promoted as a public safety bill, but in view of the paint ball gun amendment, it can no longer be touted as a safety measure. It has become, instead, a bill that would favor paint ball guns in the marketplace by requiring their competitors to be colored like toys.
A 1990 study, “Toy guns, Involvement in Crime and Encounters with the Police” conducted by the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, found that the coloration of toy guns does not result in a decrease in the shooting of children possessing toy guns by law enforcement officers. Below are some highlights of the study findings:
1) Law enforcement officers are taught to assume that all objects that look like a firearm are real weapons; 2) In every case where officers used deadly force in a toy gun confrontation, the ‘triggering element’ in the officer’s decision to shoot was the action of the person; 3) Without exception, all officers interviewed during the study said that officers must be taught to assume that all weapons they encounter are real. It was continually emphasized that training officers to try to distinguish between real and toy guns during an encounter would be an officer safety factor and an increased potential threat to the public; 4) Officers are trained that anyone can pose a threat with a gun regardless of age or sex. Thus, officers are told that even when encountering a youth with a gun, it should be treated as a life threatening circumstance.
Peter HO, President of the Airsoft Safety Foundation, said “Airsoft guns are inherently safe consumer products enjoyed by millions of individuals across the United States. It is the deliberate misuse of these products that leads to dangerous situations and SB 798 does nothing to address that improper behavior. In fact, this law will lead to more incidences of Airsoft guns being used in public places as the coloration will give the owners a false sense of security. The Airsoft industry believes in safety first and always. We support laws that enhance the safety of our products and keep them out of the public. SB 798 fails on both counts.”
According to John S. Steele, President, SoftAir USA, “SB 798 is misdirected in its attempt at improving public safety through the coloration of real guns to look like toys. What is needed, instead,” he continued, “is to change the behavior of children and their parents through industry sponsored educational programs making them aware of the state’s current comprehensive body of law on this subject, and the perils of failure to comply with the laws which puts children in danger of being shot by law enforcement officers who believe that they are facing a real firearm. The coloration of real guns to look like toys would only make the situation worse,” he concluded.
In addition to the economic advantage the bill would give to paint ball guns, it would interfere with the very social fabric of Americans by discouraging the use of other popular BB device guns that are used for recreation and sporting purposes.
Mr. Andy Traylor, a prior Sheriff's Deputy from Louisiana (relocated to California after Hurricane Katrina), said “Participation in airsoft sports has offered healthy family recreational activities that have also helped my 13 year old son with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asperger’s Syndrome). Where he either couldn't or didn't want to interact with others he now does. He is now part of a ‘team,’ is accepted by everyone, and has begun learning some important life lessons. Any parent of a child with any form of Autism would understand my defense of the sport, if for that reason alone.”
Mr. Robert Slayton, a tenured senior professor at a major university and author of award winning books, said “In August 2008 I came down with a rare form of spinal cord disease that left me a hemiplegic, and in a wheelchair. Yet, when I came home from months in hospital and rehab, the first thing I did when I got to my computer was to draw up a proposal for disabled airsoft. ....I have organized and played that game. It is the first of its kind on the planet.”
Dr. Mark Vaughan, a residency-trained and board certified emergency physician with experience in both clinical Emergency Medicine and Primary Care General Medicine, stated “As a medical doctor, I can tell you that as light decreases, a human’s ability to discern color decreases more quickly than their ability to detect shapes and movement. In dimly lit situations, police officers will still have to make split-second decisions based on movement, shape, and general suspect behavior, just as they do today (http://neurologyresident.net/Eye.%20Ophthalmology/Eye36a.%20Retinal%20Physiology.pdf).
He continued “It also does not make sense from an injury-prevention standpoint to single out airsoft guns and exempt paintball guns from legislation intended to protect the public. The below referenced articles contain similar data proving that paintball is more injurious to the human eye than airsoft: 1) Airsoft gun-related ocular injuries: novel findings, ballistics investigation, and histopathologic study. Kratz A - Am J Ophthalmol - 01-JAN-2010; 149(1): 37-44; 2) Evaluation of different projectiles in matched experimental eye impact simulations. Weaver AA - J Biomech Eng - 01-MAR-2011; 133(3): 031002 and 3) Risk functions for human and porcine eye rupture based on projectile characteristics of blunt objects. Kennedy EA - Stapp Car Crash J - 01-NOV-2006; 50: 651-71.”
Internationally recognized airgun expert, Dr. Robert D. Beeman Ph.D. said “As an independent airgun expert, I oppose Senate Bill 798 because it would create a false and dangerous sense of security concerning airguns capable of serious human injury and death. . . .It would increase accidents and incidents of serious injury and death among both the general public and police officers.” He further stated “This is primarily a behavior problem, not a product problem. Proper behavior virtually eliminates the danger attributed to such products.” He concluded by saying “In any case, traditional airguns firing metallic projectiles should be exempted from SB 798 for safety reasons.”
Click here to view printer friendly PDF version
Media Submission – If Passed, CA S.B. 798 Will Hurt Public Safety/Law Enforcement Agent Well-Being and Lose the State of CA HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS In Taxable Revenue
Click Here to download / view the SB798 Media response Document PDF
Subject: An Open Letter To Media Regarding CA Senate Bill 798
From: Airsoft Safety Foundation, on behalf of the CA Airsoft Industry
Summary: If Passed, CA S.B. 798 Will Hurt Public Safety/Law Enforcement Agent Well-Being and Lose the State of CA HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS In Taxable Revenue
Synopsis
If passed, California Senate Bill 798 (CA S.B. 798) will be a detriment to public safety and the well-being of law enforcement officers state-wide. Additionally, the State of California will LOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN TAXABLE ANNUAL BUSINESS REVENUE AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS as a result of businesses shutting down and/or moving out of state. CA SB798 is deemed by many, including industry experts and watchdog groups, to be a misguided, harm-inducing bill written under the false pre-tense of public safety.
The state of California will see a decrease in overall public safety with a corresponding increase in law enforcement uncertainty over deeming whether weapon(s) drawn at them ARE or ARE NOT indeed real firearms.
Details
CA Senate Bill 798 is a bill drafted by Senator De Leon of the 45th District of California that proposes to require all Airsoft guns (federally classified as sporting goods), which are already governed effectively by existing FEDERAL LAW, to have a brightly-colored exterior surface as opposed to the existing blaze orange muzzle.
This bill, if passed, will have two negative effects on the state of California.
First, the bill has been analyzed to be largely misguided and dubbed a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to an unfortunate incident that transpired in December of 2010. In the incident, a minor, who was fleeing from pursuing LAPD officers, did NOT comply with and did NOT surrender to LAPD officers, and instead drew a weapon which later was deemed to be a Pellet gun, at the pursuing officers, resulting in his being fired upon by the officer(s) who acted out of self-defense.
It is notable to mention that the victim of the shooting’s TWO accomplices, both of whom also played alongside the victim and the fake gun involved, were uninjured due to their COMPLIANCE with LAPD commands to surrender, suggesting that the bill, even if implemented, would have had a minimal impact on the shooting incident that prompted its creation due to the fact that the underlying cause of the shooting was NOT that the victim held an Pellet gun(as noted in the LA times article), but rather that the victim DID NOT COMPLY with police commands and instead “pulled the gun from his clothing in a motion consistent with drawing a weapon” towards the already on-edge police officer who fired shots fearing for his partner and his own safety.
The bill, which attempts to preserve public safety, has been deemed by many industry experts and even off-duty/ex-law enforcement personnel to be an ineffective method to present further incidents from happening, as any well-trained law enforcement personnel acts on the MOTION of a suspect pulling out a weapon, regardless of its color, or even type for that matter; subsequently, a cell phone, a wallet, a comb, a knife, a firearm, or other object, regardless of color or type, if pulled in a motion consistent with drawing a weapon towards an armed law enforcement agent, most likely would yield the exact same result each time: the law enforcement agent would open fire to protect his or her own life.
Second, the passing of the bill would wipe out the flourishing Airsoft business community in California, which safely and effectively abides by existing federal law. Part of the appeal of Airsoft guns is their realism; Airsoft is currently being used not only by Airsoft sporting enthusiasts but also by law enforcement and military agencies across the state of California and across the United States at large for departmental tactical and force-on-force training.
The state, currently mired by economic issues and a budget deficit in the BILLIONS, stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable revenue generated by the prolific Airsoft industry located in California. The Airsoft industry in California also employs THOUSANDS of California residents, who all stand to lose their jobs as a result of this bill passing.
Without any wrong doing by the Airsoft industry in California, but rather, through the actions of a careless teenager whose story, though tragic, is a classic case study of what NOT to do with a weapon when confronted by law enforcement agents, the state would be DEEPLY hurt economically if the bill were to pass.
And to add insult to injury, the very departments that, according to the bill, would benefit from its passing, would be losing out on access to valuable training weapons.
The Airsoft industry in California, as a collective group, has sold to hundreds of local, CALIFORNIA-BASED Law Enforcement and Military agencies, including but not limited to:
- The Arcadia Police Department (Arcadia, CA)
- The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ)
- The State of California
- The City of El Monte (El Monte, CA)
- The California Department of Corrections (CA CDCR)
- Compton Community College (Compton, CA)
- US NAVY SEALS (with training facilities in CA)
- USMC (with training facilities in CA)
- USAF/Military Police (with facilities in CA)
- Rio Dell Police Department (Rio Dell, CA)
- CA POST Academy (Delta)Contra Costa Sheriff
- Solano County Sheriff (Solano County, CA)
- Napa County Sheriff (Napa County, CA)
- Marin County Sheriff (Marin County, CA)
- Pleasant Hill PD (Pleasant Hill, CA)
-Walnut Creek PD (Walnut Creek, CA)
- Modesto PD (Modesto, CA)
- Tracy PD (Tracy, CA)
- Antioch PD (Antioch, CA)
- Martinez PD (Martinez, CA)
- Pittsburgh PD (Pittsburgh, CA)
- Brentwood PD (Brentwood, CA)
- Pleasanton PD (Pleasanton, CA)
- Livermore PD (Livermore, CA)
- San Gabriel PD (San Gabriel, CA)
- Pasadena PD (Pasadena, CA)
- LAPD (Los Angeles, CA)*
*It is extremely crucial to note that LAPD Police Chief Charlie Beck, who urged Senator De Leon to write the bill, did so ALBEIT the fact that his department actively USES and TRAINS with orange-tipped, black-colored Airsoft guns – the very same guns that he is seeking legislation to remove.
It is hypocritical to attempt to ban the sales of realistic Airsoft products in the state of California when some of the KEY customers in the state of California are the law enforcement agencies themselves.
Lastly, a similar bill was previously rejected by a former CA District Attorney out of concern for public safety and the bill’s questionable impact (and very possible detriment) to the safety of the general public and law enforcement officers.
Furthermore, a state/federal specialty committee was also formed a few years ago to discuss this topic, coming to the expert conclusion that CURRENT FEDERAL LAW mandating a blaze orange tip to accompany every single Airsoft replica was SUFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE in distinguishing Airsoft sporting goods from real firearms.
As it stands, there is overwhelming evidence that CA Senate Bill 798 would deteriorate the very level of Public Safety it seeks to establish, meanwhile losing the state MILLIONS in tax revenue and adding THOUSANDS of more jobs onto the unemployment roster.
The Airsoft industry stands united AGAINST CA Senate Bill 798, and is extremely open to having dialogue with the media regarding just how much the State of California stands to lose from an economic perspective if it is allowed to pass.
It is our hope that you the media will find this story every bit as media-worthy and inflammatory as we, the industry have.
Kindest regards,
Airsoft Safety Foundation
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The Airsoft Safety Foundation (www.airsoftsafetyfoundation.org) is an association of concerned Airsoft manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and individuals who are passionate about preserving the sport of Airsoft in the United States. The ASF is dedicated to educating policymakers and the public about the safe enjoyment of airsoft products and in helping establish industry wide standards.
As Airsoft sports gain in popularity, we are subject to greater public and regulatory scrutiny. As a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, the ASF will work with US lawmakers, state lawmakers, and bodies such as the ASTM to create safe and sensible Airsoft regulations. As an Airsoft retailer, your voice and your donations are crucial in our efforts to ensure the long term survival and prosperity of this sport
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