Individual data required to be reported to the Department of Justice pursuant to this chapter related to prohibition of ownership and possession of a firearm and ammunition shall be available to researchers affiliated with the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis following approval by the institution’s governing institutional review board, when required. At the department’s discretion, and subject to § 14240 of the Penal Code, the data may be provided to any other nonprofit bona fide research institution accredited by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation for the study of the prevention of violence, following approval by the institution’s governing institutional review board or human subjects committee, when required, for academic and policy research purposes. Material identifying individuals shall only be provided for research or statistical activities and shall not be transferred, revealed, or used for purposes other than research or statistical activities, and reports or publications derived therefrom shall not identify specific individuals. Reasonable costs to the department associated with the department’s processing of that data may be billed to the researcher. If a request for data or letter of support for research using the data is denied, the department shall provide a written statement of the specific reasons for the denial.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 253, Sec. 13. (AB 173) Effective September 23, 2021.)