State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin held a press conference on Dec. 14 to discuss several stringent gun control bills she has authored, which she will seek to
pass in the upcoming New York state legislative session. She also announced the enactment into law of her Red Flag Extreme Risk Protection legislation with
state Sen. Peter Harckham.
“When a country with less than five percent of the world’s population has nearly half of the world’s privately owned guns and makes up nearly a third of the world’s mass shootings, it’s time to stop saying guns make us safer,” said Paulin. “We need to both work on changing the gun culture in our country and simultaneously pass legislation, such as these bills, which effectuate that change. And that’s what I’m here to do.”
Restrictions on Gun Dealers
A837, sponsored by Paulin in the Assembly and Brian Kavanagh in the state Senate, imposes stringent restrictions and practices
on gun dealers with respect to record keeping and reporting of gun sales.
Firearms, rifles and shotguns are used to kill almost 40,000 individuals in the United States every year, including 800 individuals in New York state alone. Additionally, there are 115,000 nonfatal injuries across the country. There is a thriving underground market for illegal firearms, largely driven by demand from drug gangs and other criminals. A highly efficient and continuous business practice exists in which firearms are moved from legal manufacture and sale to prohibited purchasers, making them illegal firearms.
“A substantial portion of illegal firearms are diverted to the illegal market through licensed gun dealers,” said Assembly member Paulin. “Rogue gun dealers must be prevented from funneling guns to the illegal market through their current channels – one of the most common of which is straw purchases.” A straw purchase occurs when a person purchases a gun or ammunition on behalf of a prohibited person.
10-day Waiting Period on Gun Deliveries
A449, sponsored by Paulin in the Assembly and Jeremy Cooney in the Senate, establishes a mandatory 10-day waiting period before a licensed gun dealer
may deliver a firearm to a purchaser.
This bill would create a “cooling off period” to prevent impulsive actions, including suicide. Studies confirm that most suicide survivors considered their actions for only a short period of time-often less than 24 hours-before making a suicide attempt. Research also shows that states with waiting period laws had 51% fewer firearm suicides than states without such laws.
Removing Guns from Homes with Family Violence
A5455/S5026, sponsored by Paulin in the Assembly and Peter Harckham in the Senate, requires the removal of guns from homes where there has been reports of domestic violence. The Safe Homes Act of 2020 provides police officers answering a domestic violence call the option to remove firearms in plain sight or discovered pursuant to a consensual or other lawful search. This legislation seeks to provide further protections to the victims by mandating police officers seize firearms in plain sight during a domestic violence call and any license to carry, possess, repair, and dispose of such weapon that is in the possession of any person arrested on the suspicion of such family offense.
Red Flag Extreme Risk Legislation
Paulin also announced that Gov. Hochul has signed into law critical, life-saving legislation that she sponsored in the New York State Legislature with Harckham, that requires mental health facilities to provide information about New York’s Red Flag Law and obtaining extreme risk protection orders for patients upon their discharge or conditional release.
Now enacted, the legislation, Chapter 586 Amd §29.15 Mental Hygiene Law, is effective immediately.
(Submitted)
