As we usher in a new year, we also see new changes to various state laws.

One of the biggest is in California, where effective the first of January 2016, police have been granted permission to seize your guns without prior notification. If a family member feels a loved one is a potential danger to themselves or others, they can file a report with the police and obtain a temporary “gun violence” restraining order.

This temporary order will allow law enforcement to seize and hold guns for a period of 21 days, at which time the rightful owner can challenge the restraining order and petition to get their guns returned.

“The law gives us a vehicle to cause the person to surrender their weapons, to have a time out, if you will,” said Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Michael Moore. “It allows further examination of the person’s mental state.”

After three weeks, the person can challenge the judge’s decision.

“It’s a short duration and it allows for due process,” Moore said.

California laws already ban people from owning a gun if they have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, and if the person has committed violent crime. With the new changes, therapists are being encouraged to evaluate a person’s mental state and report any who pose a potential threat.

Pro-gun groups are stepping up and fighting the new law, which is potentially an infringement on Second Amendment rights.