Proposed Bill Would Require Insurers Report Homeowners with Guns

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(Newsworthy.news) – A recently introduced bill in California stands ready to force insurance businesses to report homeowners who also own guns to state lawmakers.

The legislation, AB 3067, was formally introduced by Democrat Mike Gipson, who is a member of the California Assembly, on February 16. It was co-authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a fellow Democrat.

If passed, the bill would require both homeowners’ and renters’ insurance screening questions to include inquiries that would reveal if an insurance holder possessed and held firearms in his or her residence.

Additionally, the legislation would stipulate that any information given to insurance agencies about gun ownership and storage within a residence must be passed along to the state insurance department as well as the state legislature. The language of the bill adds that these mandatory reports would not be permitted to include “confidential identifying information” about which insured members own firearms.

If approved, the suggested insurance questions would go into effect on January 1, 2026, and the system of reporting gun ownership information to the state on January 1, 2027.

Insurance companies would be required to follow a set process to obtain the information specified in the bill. On applications for homeowners’ and renters’ insurance, individuals would be asked: if any guns are stored in the residence along with “accessory structures” and the number of each; if any held firearms are kept within “a locked container” when not being used; and how many guns are stored in a vehicle that is kept on the residence property, including if they are locked away “while not in use.”

Following its introduction in the California Assembly, AB 3067 must now go before a committee to continue the process of becoming law. The bill is currently pending referral to move forward.

The proposal comes days after California Democrat Sen. Anthony Portantino introduced SB 1160, which would institute a requirement that all gun owners in the state register their firearms every year with the California Department of Justice.