New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed several gun safety bills in New York City on Wednesday.
One includes text explaining to gun dealers in the state how the presence of guns in the home increases the risk of suicide, death during domestic disputes, and the accidental death of a child. Requires signs to be posted at locations where weapons are sold, displayed, or delivered. It must also include contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which would be provided at the time of sale when purchasing a gun.
Another bill would require credit card companies to assign unique tracking codes to firearms and ammunition retailers in New York state. Violations can result in fines of up to $10,000.
Part of the law requires that when a temporary or final extreme risk protection order (ERPO) is issued, the court notifies the protective order and warrant to a statewide registry. The other allows police agencies to be listed as complainants in ERPO proceedings, rather than individual officers.
The series of bills would also provide firearms permitting officers with information about statewide resources related to safe firearm storage, child access prevention, and firearm violence prevention, as well as specific county and regional information related to firearms. It also requires new licensees to be provided with information about the laws and regulations of the country. those topics.
“I’m proud to sign this bill that will help improve safety across New York,” said Hochul. “While we are taking appropriate steps to strengthen New York State’s nation-leading gun laws, we recognize that gun violence is a national problem. We once again urge you to follow our lead and take immediate action to pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures. Lives depend on it.”
Hochul signed the bill along with former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011 and has since become a gun control advocate.
“New Yorkers have the right to live free from the fear of gun violence, and the legislation Governor Hochul signed today will make New York safer and will undoubtedly save lives,” Giffords said. “New York State continues to lead the nation with some of the strongest gun laws in the country.”
Hochul also noted that since 2021, shootings with injuries have decreased by 47% since 2021 in areas served by the 28 police departments participating in the New York City and State Ending Gun Violence (GIVE) Initiative. The agency announced that the latest data reported shows gun violence. It has fallen to pre-pandemic levels.
Hochul also noted that law enforcement agencies across the state have seized more than 7,700 illegal guns so far this year, including 569 ghost guns, and that courts have used the state’s red flag law in more than 22,000 cases to date. He said that he had issued an ERPO.
