Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 151
CHAPTER 184

Relative to firearm safety.

[ Filed with Secretary of State  September 04, 2018. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SCR 151, Pan. Firearms: ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign.
This measure would proclaim June 21, 2018, as Asking Saves Kids Day.
Fiscal Committee: NO  

WHEREAS, According to estimates from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, eight children and teens per day on average were injured or killed from the unintentional discharge of a firearm; and
WHEREAS, There are 1.7 million children in the United States who live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns; and
WHEREAS, In states that collect data through the National Violent Death Reporting System, on average, 80 percent of unintentional firearm deaths of children under 15 years of age occurred in a home; and
WHEREAS, The ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign encourages parents to add a question to a conversation before their child visits other homes, “Is there a gun in your house?” and following affirmative answers with, “Is it locked and unloaded?”; and
WHEREAS, Asking these simple questions about gun safety before sending your child to visit or play at another home could help save your child’s life; and
WHEREAS, Asking these questions will raise awareness of the need for safe storage of guns in the home as a proven and effective preventive safety measure; and
WHEREAS, Asking these questions will prevent incidents of family fire in which an improperly stored or misused gun results in injury or death; and
WHEREAS, The ASK Campaign was first established with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2000, and is currently administered by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence; and
WHEREAS, The president of the AAP has said, “Keeping children and teens safe from preventable injuries is one of the most important things we do as pediatricians.”; and
WHEREAS, A November 2017 United States Government Accountability Office report, “Personal Firearms: Programs that Promote Safe Storage and Research on Their Effectiveness,” identified 16 public or nonprofit programs that promote safe gun storage, including the ASK Campaign, and reported that the ASK Campaign was the only national program to be evaluated and validated as effective; and
WHEREAS, The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, its more than 100 chapters in a majority of states throughout the nation, and its many local, state, and national partners come together to highlight the ASK Campaign each year in communities across the country; and
WHEREAS, June 21, the first day of summer, the season in which kids typically spend more time at a friend’s or family member’s home, has traditionally been designated as National ASK Day; and
WHEREAS, June 21, 2018, is designated by national organizations and local and state governments as the 15th annual National ASK Day; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims June 21, 2018, to be “ASK Day,” encourages parents to begin asking the lifesaving questions, and supports the goals and ideals of ASK Day; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature encourages public health, medical, and other professionals to discuss gun ownership, gun safety, and safe storage in the home with their patients and parents and guardians of minors; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.