Officials announced Thursday that Los Angeles County has automated the process of notifying law enforcement agencies when people who violate restraining orders fail to comply with judges’ orders to hand their guns over to authorities.

Previously, court clerks had to identify which of the county’s 88 law enforcement agencies to notify about a firearm relinquishment by looking up addresses for the accused, which could take multiple days, Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II of the L.A. County Superior Court said during a news conference.

Now, “notices are sent within minutes” to the appropriate agencies, Tapia said.

“This new system represents a step forward in ensuring timely, consistent and efficient communication between the court and law enforcement,” he said, “helping to remove firearms from individuals who are legally prohibited from possessing them.”

According to a news release, the court launched the platform, which the Judicial Council of California funded with a $4.12 million grant in conjunction with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and district attorney’s office, and the L.A. Police Department and city attorney’s office.

The court also rolled out a new portal for law enforcement that “streamlines interagency communications by providing justice partners with a centralized list of relevant cases for review” and allows agencies “to view all firearm relinquishment restraining order violations within their jurisdiction,” according to the release.

The new digital approach “represents a major enhancement in public safety,” Luna said.

“Each of those firearms,” he said, “represents a potential tragedy prevented or a domestic violence situation that did not escalate, a life that was not lost to gun violence.”

California voters on Nov. 4 passed Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment that allows a redrawing of the state’s congressional district boundaries, a major win for Democrats.

The measure, which was pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, permits California’s Democratic state lawmakers to temporarily redraw the state’s U.S. congressional districts to increase their party’s chances of winning more seats in Congress.

After the 2030 U.S. Census, the state will return to using a nonpartisan commission to draw their congressional district boundaries.

Prop 50’s passing essentially negates five new GOP-leaning congressional districts Texas created earlier this year at the urging of President Donald Trump. Here’s what to know.

Proposition 50: How it can change California elections and shift Trump’s strategy

Did Prop 50 pass?

Yes, Proposition 50 passed in California. The measure authorizes a temporary redrawing of the state’s congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Democrats hope the amendment will offset a Republican-led redistricting in Texas. With California and Texas having the largest Democratic and Republican delegations, respectively, they hold more weight in who controls the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House.

Redistricting typically happens at the start of every decade, but some states are prohibiting more mid-decade changes.

“What a night for the Democratic party,” Newsom said after polls closed on Nov. 4.

Trump denounced the results in a post on Truth Social.

“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” he wrote.

Prop 50 election results

Over eight million Californians turned out to vote for Prop 50, according to data from the California Secretary of State.

More than 63% of voters elected to pass Prop 50, while roughly 36% voted against it.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com. 

Contributing: Sarah D. Wire, Ramon Padilla and Ignacio Calderon, USA TODAY