Continuing to Strengthen New York’s Gun Laws

SUMMARY

In response to the recent mass shootings, the New York State Legislature has an opportunity to be in the forefront in the fight against gun violence by strengthening New York’s gun control laws. In a joint report entitled Continuing to Strengthen New York’s Gun Laws, the Committees on Criminal Advocacy and Criminal Law discuss the various gun control measures being proposed both in New York and nationally. The report notes that the passage of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013 (“SAFE Act”), though a laudable first step to curb gun violence, should be further amended to strengthen its reach and impact. The report goes on to comment on an array of proposed legislation which would among other things: 1) establish a longer waiting period for the purchase of any firearm; 2) prohibit the purchase of more than one firearm during any thirty-day period; 3) require mircrostamping on new semiautomatic firearms; and 4) redefine the terms “armor piercing ammunition” and “disguised gun.” At the federal level, the report expresses opposition to H.R. 578, which would force each state to accept concealed handgun carry permits from every other state, even if the permit holder would not be allowed to carry or even possess a handgun in the state in which he or she is traveling.