NRA-ILA | New York: Senate Majority Democrats Moving More Gun Control in Albany This Week

Although New York has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, anti-gun politicians continue to come up with more bad ideas. There are less than a dozen scheduled session days remaining, which means we are entering the most dangerous time of year for gun owners. With little notice or debate, gun bans are quickly shuttled through the process. This week, several gun bills are already on the agenda in multiple committees.

Tuesday May 21

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider S.2086A. This bill allows a person to voluntarily wave their right to purchase a firearm. This is a bizarre and dangerous bill. If someone does not want to buy a firearm, they can simply not purchase one. However, this legislation is inviting people to “red flag” themselves and initiate a legal process that has the potential to turn into a nightmare. States like New York have a cumbersome rights restoration process, and this legislation does not adequately protect those who may end up having second thoughts.

Wednesday May 22

On Wednesday, the Senate Codes Committee will consider the following bills: 

S.2102 “requires police officers to take temporary custody of firearms when responding to reports of family violence.” It is always unsettling when politicians seek to end-run the Constitution and the warrant process. Clearly, there are situations where someone who is a danger should not have a firearm, but there is also a legal process for dealing with that.

S.7365A “relates to pistol converters.” This legislation purports to go after “Glock switches.” Keep in mind, it is already illegal under federal and state law to make a firearm fully automatic in contravention of the Federal Gun Control Act. This legislation, however, creates a serious possessory offense and criminalizes parts. 

S.7802 “requires the division of criminal justice services to certify the technological viability of personalized handguns and to establish requirements related to the sale of personalized handguns.” These firearms are commonly referred to as “smart guns,” and this is another attempt at forced market acceptance of a product that is not currently technologically viable. Pure and simple, it is a backdoor, traditional handgun ban. Like microstamping, once they certify these guns as “technologically viable,” the plan is to allow only the sale of these types of firearms.

S.9137A “prohibits openly carrying a rifle or shotgun.” While the bill creates some exceptions, this is the type of legislation that ensnares unwitting, law-abiding gun owners.

There are other anti-gun bills still in play that we are actively opposing but not on the agenda at this time. A.9862A/S.8479A is of particular concern as it “requires payment card networks to use certain category codes for firearm dealers.” Every time you use your credit card to buy firearms, ammunition, or parts, it assists the government to snoop on your transactions. This type of information is used for surveillance and registration of gun owner activity. Other states have moved in the opposite direction and have passed bills preventing the categorization and collection of such data to help protect gun owner privacy. 

Again, we are entering the last days of the 2024 regular session in Albany, and now is the time to be vigilant. We are actively working against these bills and many others. Please continue to follow your inbox and NRA-ILA for the latest news concerning your Second Amendment rights.