Focusing on gun owner education, Hochul signs package of gun safety measures into law
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed several gun safety bills into law Wednesday in New York City.
One requires firearms dealers in the state to post a sign where weapons are sold, displayed or delivered, including a paragraph explaining how guns in the home increase the risk of suicide, death during a domestic dispute or unintentional death to children. It must also include contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and would be given to any gun purchaser at time of sale.
Another law will require credit card companies to assign a unique tracking code to gun and ammunition dealers in New York state. Fines could be up to $10,000 for noncompliance.
One piece of legislation requires the court to notify the statewide registry of orders of protection and warrants when a temporary or final extreme risk protection order (ERPO) is issued. Another allows police agencies, instead of individual police officers, to be listed as the petitioner in an ERPO proceeding.
The package of bills also now requires a firearms licensing officer to provide to a new licensee information about statewide resources related to safe storage of firearms, child access prevention and firearm violence prevention, as well as information on specific county and local laws and regulations related to those topics.
“I am proud to sign this bill package that will help enhance safety across New York,” Hochul said. “While we are taking expedient action to enhance New York State’s nation-leading gun laws, we recognize that gun violence is a nationwide problem. I once again urge Congress to follow our lead and take immediate action to pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures. Lives depend on it.”
Hochul signed the bills alongside former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona in 2011 and since has become an advocate for gun control measures.
“New Yorkers deserve to live free from the fear of gun violence. The bills signed into law today by Governor Hochul will make New York safer and undoubtedly save lives,” Giffords said. “New York continues to lead the nation with some of the strongest gun laws in the country.”
Hochul also announced that shooting incidents with injury in New York City and communities served by the 28 police departments participating in the State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative have declined 47% since 2021 and the most recent data reported by GIVE agencies show gun violence has declined to pre-pandemic levels.
Hochul also said that law enforcement agencies statewide have seized over 7,700 illegal guns so far this year, including 569 ghost guns, and that courts have used the state’s Red Flag law to issue over 22,000 ERPOs to date.