California gun laws are set to go into effect in 2019 in response to several mass shootings across the country and in the Southland, according to officials, impacting Santa Clarita residents.

Several new gun laws are expected to go into effect, including new minimum age requirements for a firearm purchase and mandatory background checks for ammunition sales.

Supporters of the gun legislation argue it could prevent the next mass shooting, but opponents say the laws restrict their constitutional right to a firearm.

AB 3129 — Domestic Violence

If convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in the future, Californians can lose their right to own a firearm.

Existing California law prohibits a person who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm, and also prohibits a person who has been convicted of a specified misdemeanor from possessing a firearm for a period of 10 years, a list that includes domestic abuse, stalking and intimidation, among others, according to the California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms.

The expanded law could prohibit a person who is convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault on or after Jan. 1, 2019, from ever possessing a firearm.

“There is a very real connection between past domestic violence and a propensity to future violence, including mass shootings,” said State Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, in a statement earlier this year. “California state law is inadequate to fully protect survivors of domestic violence. Abused women are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser owns a firearm.”

SB 1100 — Long Gun Age Restrictions

This law increases the age limit for purchasing long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, from a licensed dealer from 18 to 21 years old, with some exceptions for law enforcement and members of the military.

Persons who are are authorized to carry a firearm as a part of employment, such as law enforcement, active membership or honorably discharged membership from the United States Armed Forces or active reserve components of the United States, are all allowed access to firearms.

Additionally, a person 18 years of age or older who possesses a valid, unexpired hunting license issued by the Department of Fish and Wildlife can purchase a long gun.

Opponents argue that this is partially a violation of 2nd Amendment rights, as federal law already prevents adults under 21 from buying a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer, and this expansion essentially refuses adults aged 18-20 the constitutional right to self-protection.

PEN 30352 — Ammunition Sale Background Checks

This law requires background checks for ammunition sales, and will require vendors to electronically track ammunition sales and transfers.

Existing law requires the attorney general to maintain records — including fingerprints, concealed carry licenses and information from firearms dealers — to assist in investigating crimes and certain civil actions.

The expanded law will come into effect July 1, 2019, and will require sellers to run a background check with the Department of Justice before ammunition purchases.

Arguments opposing the law largely center around the burden it could place on law-abiding citizens without keeping violent criminals from accessing illegal firearms and ammunition.

The new slew of gun laws come in response to the rise of gun-related deaths in the United States over the past several years, including the Thousand Oaks shooting on Nov. 7 that took the lives of 12 people.

There have been more than 55,900 shootings in the United States in 2018 — more than 500 in California — as of Thursday, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

These numbers include more than 14,300 deaths and 337 mass shootings, but does not include the annual average 22,000 suicides by firearm.

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