City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-01912 12/2/2025
Resolution Pertaining to Military Equipment Use Timeline File ID: 2025-01912
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution establishing timelines for the annual adoption of the Military Use Equipment ordinance.
Contact: Clay Buchanan, Captain, (916)808-0824, [email protected], Police Department
Presenter: Clay Buchanan, Captain, (916)808-0824, [email protected], Police Department
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481) and California Government Codes Sections 7070 through 7075 establish standards for law enforcement agencies’ acquisition and use of “military equipment” and require local governing body approval and oversight of such use. The Sacramento Police Department (SPD) maintains and operates equipment categorized as “military equipment” as defined in Government Code Section 7070.
To ensure compliance with AB 481 and related Government Codes, SPD must annually inspect, report, and seek approval for the continued use of its military equipment inventory through the submission of a Military Equipment Use Policy (MEU Policy) and Annual Military Equipment Use Report (AMEUR).
The proposed resolution includes a revised annual compliance timeline that maintains full adherence to the statutory requirements while providing sufficient time for internal review, public transparency, and community input.
File ID: 2025-01912 12/2/2025
Policy Considerations: The Council has a long-standing commitment to ensure that SPD has the equipment necessary to safeguard the lives of the people of Sacramento. SPD is required by law to annually obtain Council approval of a renewed ordinance for the funding, acquisition, or use of military equipment, and to present an AMEUR.
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
Environmental Considerations: No environmental review is necessary because the recommendations in this report are of an administrative nature and are not considered to be a “project” as defined in Section 15378(b)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: There is significant interest in ensuring that law enforcement continues to have access to equipment that will provide peace officers as many options as possible to safeguard lives, ensure safety, and protect civil liberties. The use of the tools identified in the AMEUR are vital to SPD’s mission and will continue to be strictly regulated through internal processes and oversight.
The intent of this resolution is to establish the additional time needed to allow for more robust public interaction, council oversight, and compliance SPD. This resolution also improves for consistency year to year and avoids a compounding timeline with inaccessible deadlines.
Financial Considerations: There are no financial impacts of adjusting the AMEUR timelines.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-XXX
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
Establishing a Timeline for Compliance with Annual Military Equipment Use Requirements Pursuant to Assembly Bill 481 and California Government Codes 7070 through 7075
BACKGROUND
A. Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481) and California Government Codes Sections 7070 through 7075 establish standards for law enforcement agencies’ acquisition and use of “military equipment” and require local governing body approval and oversight of such use.
B. The Sacramento Police Department maintains and operates equipment categorized as “military equipment” as defined in Government Code Section 7070.
C. To ensure compliance with AB 481 and related Government Codes, SPD must annually inspect, report, and seek approval for the continued use of its military equipment inventory through the submission of a Military Equipment Use Policy (MEU Policy) and Annual Military Equipment Use Report (AMEUR).
D. The Sacramento Police Department proposes a revised annual compliance timeline that maintains full adherence to the statutory requirements while providing sufficient time for internal review, public transparency, and community input.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Sacramento City Council hereby approves the following annual compliance timeline for the Sacramento Police Department’s Military Equipment Use Policy and Annual Military Equipment Use Report, consistent with AB 481 and Government Codes 7070–7075:
A. Inspection Period: The inspection period for the Sacramento Police Department’s inventory of “military equipment” and its recorded use shall occur from May 1 through April 30 of each year.
B. Draft Military Equipment Policy (Government Code §7071(b)): The Sacramento Police Department’s Military Equipment Use Policy shall be made available to the Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission and published in draft format to the department’s website every year before the end of the third week of June.
C. Draft Annual Military Equipment Use Report (AMEUR) (Government Code §7072(b)): The Sacramento Police Department shall make its draft AMEUR available to the Sacramento City Council and publish it to the Department’s website every year before the end of the third week of June.
D. Community Meeting (Government Code §7072(b)): The Sacramento Community Police Review Commission will work in conjunction with the Sacramento Police Department to hold a public “Community Meeting” which shall allow for discussion of the Draft Military Equipment Policy and draft AMEUR. The meeting shall not occur sooner than 30 days after the draft AMEUR is published on the department’s website, but shall occur before July 31st.
E. Law and Legislation Committee Review: The Law and Legislation Committee shall review the draft Military Equipment Use Policy and draft AMEUR on or after the end of the third week of August but no later than the end of the third week of September.
F. City Council Approval: The City Council shall consider approval the Annual Military Equipment Use Report (AMEUR) and related Military Equipment Use Policy no later than the end of the calendar year.
Section 2. The City Council finds that the proposed timeline modification remains in compliance with Assembly Bill 481 and Government Codes 7070–7075, while ensuring appropriate transparency, public engagement, and administrative efficiency.
Adopted by the City of Sacramento City Council on December XX, 2025, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Abstain:
Absent:
Attest:
Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk
The presence of an electronic signature certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy as approved by the Sacramento City Council.