Two ordinances targeting the sale and possession of certain ammunition in San Francisco were given unanimous initial approval today by the city’s Board of Supervisors.
The legislation, which will require final approval by the board at its meeting next week, will make military-grade ammunition like certain barbed hollow-point bullets illegal to own in the city and require businesses to notify police when someone buys at least 500 rounds of ammo in a single transaction.
Supervisor Malia Cohen, who co-sponsored the legislation along with Mayor Ed Lee, said, “While this is not a panacea to fix and solve our gun violence, I think we can all agree that we should do everything in our power as a city to address the impacts.”
Military members and law enforcement personnel would be exempt from the ban on possessing the hollow-point bullets, which can cause increased damage to a victim’s internal organs and are already illegal to sell in the city.
Violators will face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.
The ordinances were introduced in the wake of the massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and are being accompanied by other gun control legislation recently introduced at the state and federal level.
Supporters of the San Francisco ordinances have said they are confident it will hold up if legally challenged on Second Amendment constitutional grounds.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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