Bill Text: NY A01054 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Requires the creation and imposition of restrictive commercial practices and stringent recordkeeping and reporting to prevent gun sales to criminals; provides that such measures shall be promulgated by the superintendent of state police; restricts premises of sales; requires employee training; prohibits straw purchases; imposes additional license conditions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-11-06 - print number 1054b [A01054 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A01054-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Requires the creation and imposition of restrictive commercial practices and stringent recordkeeping and reporting to prevent gun sales to criminals; provides that such measures shall be promulgated by the superintendent of state police; restricts premises of sales; requires employee training; prohibits straw purchases; imposes additional license conditions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-11-06 - print number 1054b [A01054 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A01054-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1054 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 14, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, RAMOS, LIFTON, ENGLEBRIGHT, L. ROSENTHAL, ABINANTI, COLTON, DINOWITZ, JAFFEE, STECK, SEAWRIGHT, FAHY, SCHIMMING- ER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, CRESPO, GOTTFRIED, MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Economic Development AN ACT to amend the general business law and the penal law, in relation to preventing the sale of firearms, rifles, and shotguns to criminals The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. The legislature here- 2 by finds and declares as follows: 3 1. Firearms, rifles and shotguns are used to kill over 30,000 individ- 4 uals in the United States every year, including 1,000 individuals in New 5 York state alone. Additionally, there are 100,000 non-fatal injuries 6 across the country. The federal government has largely ignored this 7 public health crisis and has left it up to state and local governments 8 to protect its citizens. Firearm violence also costs billions of dollars 9 and causes incalculable emotional damage, devastating families and 10 communities throughout the country. Therefore, the state of New York 11 has a strong interest in reducing violence and crimes that involve the 12 use of firearms and the illegal trafficking of firearms. Illegal guns 13 obtained throughout the state end up in the hands of criminals, youth 14 and violent individuals who use them to threaten, maim and kill. 15 2. There is a thriving underground market for illegal firearms, large- 16 ly driven by demand from drug gangs and other criminals. A highly effi- 17 cient and continuous business practice exists in which firearms are 18 moved from legal manufacture and sale to prohibited purchasers, making 19 them illegal firearms. According to a recent report of the New York 20 state attorney general, 52,915 crime guns were recovered by law enforce- 21 ment in New York between 2010-2015. Target on Trafficking, New York 22 Crime Gun Analysis, October 2016 ("2016 AG Report"). Of these crime EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00636-01-9A. 1054 2 1 guns, 13,188 or 24.9% were long guns. Outside New York City, long guns 2 are sold without a permit. The 2016 AG Report further found that 90% of 3 the crime guns recovered were recovered in seven distinct markets: New 4 York City, the lower Hudson Valley (including the cities of Yonkers, 5 White Plains, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie), the Capital Region (including 6 Albany, Troy and Schenectady), Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. 74% of 7 the crime guns recovered were from out of state. Yet a significant 8 portion of guns involved in crimes upstate originate within the state. 9 For example, according to the 2016 AG Report, 41% of crime guns in the 10 Buffalo area and 56% of crime guns in the Rochester area originated 11 within New York state. 12 3. Youth are particularly at risk of being killed with guns. Accord- 13 ing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2010 alone, 14 116 children and teens (under the age of 19) died from gun violence in 15 New York state. 16 4. A substantial portion of illegal firearms are diverted to the ille- 17 gal market through licensed gun dealers. Rogue gun dealers play a key 18 role in this market. These rogue dealers funnel guns to the illegal 19 market through a variety of channels. One of the most common means is to 20 allow "straw purchases". A straw purchase occurs when a person purchases 21 a gun on behalf of a prohibited person. In 2000, the Bureau of Alcohol, 22 Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted an investigation of 23 gun trafficking from July 1996 to December 1998 and found that almost 24 26,000 trafficked firearms were associated with investigations in which 25 there was a straw purchaser. Almost 50% of all trafficking investi- 26 gations involved straw purchasers, with an average of 37 firearms traf- 27 ficked per investigation. Another issue, according to a 2008 report by 28 Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Inside Straw Purchasing: How Criminals Get 29 Guns Illegally, is that many traffickers return to the same store again 30 and again once they have identified it as one in which they can make 31 straw purchases easily. According to the ATF, 1% of gun dealers are the 32 source of almost 60% of crime guns. 33 5. Although most gun dealers operate their businesses legally and 34 responsibly, some gun dealers who are corrupt or maintain shoddy record- 35 keeping practices flood the streets with illegal weapons as a result of 36 their unrestricted access to new gun inventory and the unwillingness of 37 gun manufacturers to terminate their supply to these rogue dealers. 38 Current federal and state regulation has not curbed the business prac- 39 tice of illegal gun dealers. According to a 2004 study by Americans for 40 Gun Safety, of the 120 worst gun dealers in the country, namely those 41 dealers with an average of 500 crime guns traced to them, 96 were still 42 in operation. 43 6. Moreover, this problem is not limited to unlicensed sellers, and 44 clearly includes federal firearms licensees (FFLs). Indeed, although 45 FFLs were involved in under 10% of the trafficking investigations under- 46 taken by ATF, they were associated with the largest number of diverted 47 firearms--over 40,000 guns, which is nearly half of the total number of 48 trafficked firearms documented during the two-year period of the ATF's 49 investigation. Additionally, a 2010 report by Mayors Against Illegal 50 Guns indicated that several states which allow state authorities to 51 supplement the federal ATF inspection with routine inspections provide 52 law enforcement with more opportunities to uncover dealers in violation 53 of the law. These inspections also help identify dealers who exercise 54 lax oversight over their inventory and may lead to improved compliance 55 with federal, state, and local laws.A. 1054 3 1 7. Current state law governing firearm dealers is inadequate to 2 prevent the diversion of firearms to the illegal marketplace. Addi- 3 tional protections that are needed include, but are not limited to, 4 better gun dealer internal compliance procedures, programs to eliminate 5 straw purchases, improved security measures, reducing youth access, and 6 mandatory training for gun dealer employees. The additional protections 7 set forth in this act will greatly enhance the state's efforts to reduce 8 criminal activity in the state. 9 § 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new article 39-BB 10 to read as follows: 11 ARTICLE 39-BB 12 PREVENTING THE SALE OF FIREARMS, 13 RIFLES, AND SHOTGUNS TO CRIMINALS 14 Section 875-a. Definitions. 15 875-b. Reasonable measures to prevent sales and 16 transfers to criminals. 17 875-c. Security. 18 875-d. Access to firearms, rifles, and shotguns. 19 875-e. Location of firearm, rifle, and shotgun sales. 20 875-f. Employee training. 21 875-g. Maintenance of records. 22 875-h. Internal compliance and certification. 23 875-i. Rules and regulations. 24 875-j. Violations. 25 § 875-a. Definitions. For the purposes of this article: 26 1. "Dealer" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or 27 company who engages in the business of purchasing, selling, keeping for 28 sale, lending, leasing, or in any manner disposing of, any firearm, 29 rifle, or shotgun. 30 2. "Dispose of" means to dispose of, give, give away, lease, lend, 31 keep for sale, offer, offer for sale, sell, transfer, or otherwise 32 dispose of. 33 3. "Firearm" has the same meaning as that term is defined in subdivi- 34 sion three of section 265.00 of the penal law. 35 4. "Firearm exhibitor" means any person, firm, partnership, corpo- 36 ration, or company that exhibits, sells, offers for sale, transfers, or 37 exchanges firearms, rifles, or shotguns at a gun show. 38 5. "Retail dealer" means any dealer engaged in the retail business of 39 selling firearms, rifles, or shotguns. 40 6. "Rifle" has the same meaning as that term is defined in subdivision 41 eleven of section 265.00 of the penal law. 42 7. "Shotgun" has the same meaning as that term is defined in subdivi- 43 sion twelve of section 265.00 of the penal law. 44 8. "Straw purchase" means the purchase, or attempt to purchase, by a 45 person of a firearm, rifle, or shotgun for, on behalf of, or for the use 46 of another person, knowing that it would be unlawful for such other 47 person to possess such firearm, rifle, or shotgun, or an attempt to make 48 such a purchase. 49 9. "Straw purchaser" means a person who, knowing that it would be 50 unlawful for another person to possess a firearm, rifle, or shotgun, 51 purchases or attempts to purchase a firearm, rifle, or shotgun for, on 52 behalf of, or for the use of such other person. 53 10. "Superintendent" means the superintendent of state police. 54 § 875-b. Reasonable measures to prevent sales and transfers to crimi- 55 nals. Every dealer shall adopt reasonable measures to prevent firearms, 56 rifles, and shotguns from being diverted from the legal stream ofA. 1054 4 1 commerce, intentionally or otherwise, for later sale, transfer, or 2 disposal to individuals not legally entitled to purchase or possess such 3 weapons. Such measures shall include, but need not be limited to, 4 programs to eliminate sales to straw purchasers and to otherwise thwart 5 illegal gun trafficking. The superintendent shall develop programs 6 designed to eliminate sales to straw purchasers and to otherwise thwart 7 illegal gun trafficking. Within six months of the effective date of this 8 article, the superintendent shall submit a report to the legislature 9 detailing such programs, including establishing minimum requirements for 10 such programs. 11 § 875-c. Security. Every dealer shall implement a security plan for 12 securing firearms, rifles and shotguns, including firearms, rifles and 13 shotguns in shipment. The plan must satisfy at least the following 14 requirements: 15 1. display cases shall be locked at all times except when removing a 16 single firearm, rifle or shotgun to show a customer, and customers shall 17 handle firearms, rifles or shotguns only under the direct supervision of 18 an employee; 19 2. all firearms, rifles and shotguns shall be secured, other than 20 during business hours, in a locked fireproof safe or vault in the 21 licensee's business premises or in a similar secured and locked area; 22 and 23 3. ammunition shall be stored separately from the firearms, rifles and 24 shotguns and out of reach of the customers. 25 4. (a) The permitted business location shall be secured by an alarm 26 system that is installed and maintained by an alarm company operator 27 properly licensed pursuant to state law. The alarm system must be moni- 28 tored by a central station listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., 29 and covered by an active Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. alarm system 30 certificate with a #3 extent of protection. 31 (b) Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. uses the term "extent of 32 protection" to refer to the amount of alarm protection installed to 33 protect a particular area, room or container. Systems with a #3 extent 34 of protection include complete protection for all accessible openings, 35 and partial motion and sound detection at certain other areas of the 36 premises. More information may be found in: Central Station Alarm Asso- 37 ciation, A Practical Guide to Central Station Burglar Alarm Systems (3rd 38 ed. 2005). 39 § 875-d. Access to firearms, rifles, and shotguns. Every retail dealer 40 shall exclude all persons under eighteen years of age from those 41 portions of its premises where firearms, rifles, shotguns, or ammunition 42 are stocked or sold, unless such person is accompanied by a parent or 43 guardian. 44 § 875-e. Location of firearm, rifle, and shotgun sales. Every dealer 45 shall sell or otherwise dispose of firearms, rifles, and shotguns only 46 at the location listed on the dealer's federal firearms license or at 47 gun shows. 48 § 875-f. Employee training. Every retail dealer shall provide training 49 to all employees and other personnel engaged in the retail sale of 50 firearms, rifles, and shotguns relating to: 51 1. the law governing firearm, rifle, and shotgun transfers by federal 52 firearms licensees and individuals; 53 2. how to recognize straw purchases and other attempts to purchase 54 firearms, rifles, or shotguns illegally; andA. 1054 5 1 3. how to teach consumers rules of gun safety, including but not 2 limited to the safe handling and storage of firearms, rifles, and shot- 3 guns. 4 No employee or agent of any retail dealer shall participate in the 5 sale or disposition of firearms, rifles, or shotguns unless such person 6 is at least twenty-one years of age and has first received the training 7 required by this section. The superintendent shall promulgate regu- 8 lations setting forth minimum requirements for the maintenance of 9 records of such training. 10 § 875-g. Maintenance of records. Every dealer shall establish and 11 maintain such purchase, sale, inventory, and other records at the deal- 12 er's place of business in such form and for such period as the super- 13 intendent shall require, and shall submit such records to the New York 14 state police every April and October. Such records shall at a minimum 15 include the following: 16 1. every dealer shall record the make, model, caliber or gauge, and 17 serial number of all rifles and shotguns that are acquired or disposed 18 of not later than one business day after their acquisition or disposi- 19 tion. Monthly backups of these records shall be maintained in a secure 20 container designed to prevent loss by fire, theft, or other mishap; 21 2. all rifles and shotguns acquired but not yet disposed of must be 22 accounted for through an inventory check prepared once each month and 23 maintained in a secure location; 24 3. rifle and shotgun sales information, including the serial numbers 25 of rifles and shotguns sold, dates of sale, and identity of purchasers, 26 shall be maintained and made available to government law enforcement 27 agencies and to the manufacturer of the weapon or its designee; and 28 4. every dealer shall maintain records of criminal rifle and shotgun 29 traces initiated by the federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and 30 explosives ("ATF"). All ATF Form 4473 transaction records shall be 31 retained on the dealer's business premises in a secure container 32 designed to prevent loss by fire, theft, or other mishap. 33 § 875-h. Internal compliance and certification. 1. Every dealer shall: 34 (a) implement and maintain sufficient internal compliance procedures 35 to ensure compliance with the requirements of this article and all 36 applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing the 37 sale, transfer, and disposal of firearms, rifles, and shotguns; and 38 (b) annually certify to the superintendent that such dealer has 39 complied with all of the requirements of this article. The superinten- 40 dent shall by regulation determine the form and content of such annual 41 certification. 42 2. The superintendent of state police shall promulgate regulations 43 establishing periodic inspections, during regular and usual business 44 hours, by the division of state police of the premises of every dealer 45 to determine compliance by such dealer with the requirements of this 46 article. Every dealer shall provide the division of state police with 47 full access to such dealer's premises for such inspections. 48 § 875-i. Rules and regulations. The superintendent may promulgate such 49 additional rules and regulations as the superintendent shall deem neces- 50 sary to prevent firearms, rifles, and shotguns from being diverted from 51 the legal stream of commerce. 52 § 875-j. Violations. Any person, firm, or corporation who knowingly 53 violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of a class A 54 misdemeanor punishable as provided for in the penal law, and shall be 55 guilty of a class E felony for a second violation occurring within fiveA. 1054 6 1 years of a prior conviction for a violation of any provision of this 2 article. 3 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 400.00 of the penal law, as amended by 4 chapter 1 of the laws of 2013, paragraph (c) as amended by chapter 60 of 5 the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows: 6 1. Eligibility. No license shall be issued or renewed pursuant to this 7 section except by the licensing officer, and then only after investi- 8 gation and finding that all statements in a proper application for a 9 license are true. No license shall be issued or renewed except for an 10 applicant (a) twenty-one years of age or older, provided, however, that 11 where such applicant has been honorably discharged from the United 12 States army, navy, marine corps, air force or coast guard, or the 13 national guard of the state of New York, no such age restriction shall 14 apply; (b) of good moral character; (c) who has not been convicted 15 anywhere of a felony or a serious offense or who is not the subject of 16 an outstanding warrant of arrest issued upon the alleged commission of a 17 felony or serious offense; (d) who is not a fugitive from justice; (e) 18 who is not an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance 19 as defined in section 21 U.S.C. 802; (f) who being an alien (i) is not 20 illegally or unlawfully in the United States or (ii) has not been admit- 21 ted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa subject to the excep- 22 tion in 18 U.S.C. 922(y)(2); (g) who has not been discharged from the 23 Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions; (h) who, having been a citi- 24 zen of the United States, has not renounced his or her citizenship; (i) 25 who has stated whether he or she has ever suffered any mental illness; 26 (j) who has not been involuntarily committed to a facility under the 27 jurisdiction of an office of the department of mental hygiene pursuant 28 to article nine or fifteen of the mental hygiene law, article seven 29 hundred thirty or section 330.20 of the criminal procedure law, section 30 four hundred two or five hundred eight of the correction law, section 31 322.2 or 353.4 of the family court act, or has not been civilly confined 32 in a secure treatment facility pursuant to article ten of the mental 33 hygiene law; (k) who has not had a license revoked or who is not under a 34 suspension or ineligibility order issued pursuant to the provisions of 35 section 530.14 of the criminal procedure law or section eight hundred 36 forty-two-a of the family court act; (l) in the county of Westchester, 37 who has successfully completed a firearms safety course and test as 38 evidenced by a certificate of completion issued in his or her name and 39 endorsed and affirmed under the penalties of perjury by a duly author- 40 ized instructor, except that: (i) persons who are honorably discharged 41 from the United States army, navy, marine corps or coast guard, or of 42 the national guard of the state of New York, and produce evidence of 43 official qualification in firearms during the term of service are not 44 required to have completed those hours of a firearms safety course 45 pertaining to the safe use, carrying, possession, maintenance and stor- 46 age of a firearm; and (ii) persons who were licensed to possess a pistol 47 or revolver prior to the effective date of this paragraph are not 48 required to have completed a firearms safety course and test; (m) who 49 has not had a guardian appointed for him or her pursuant to any 50 provision of state law, based on a determination that as a result of 51 marked subnormal intelligence, mental illness, incapacity, condition or 52 disease, he or she lacks the mental capacity to contract or manage his 53 or her own affairs; and (n) concerning whom no good cause exists for the 54 denial of the license. No person shall engage in the business of 55 gunsmith or dealer in firearms unless licensed pursuant to this section, 56 and no person shall engage in the business of dealer in firearms unlessA. 1054 7 1 such person complies with the provisions of article thirty-nine-BB of 2 the general business law. An applicant to engage in such business shall 3 also be a citizen of the United States, more than twenty-one years of 4 age and maintain a place of business in the city or county where the 5 license is issued. For such business, if the applicant is a firm or 6 partnership, each member thereof shall comply with all of the require- 7 ments set forth in this subdivision and if the applicant is a corpo- 8 ration, each officer thereof shall so comply. 9 § 4. Subdivisions 11 and 12 of section 400.00 of the penal law, as 10 amended by chapter 1 of the laws of 2013, are amended to read as 11 follows: 12 11. License: revocation and suspension. (a) The conviction of a licen- 13 see anywhere of a felony or serious offense or a licensee at any time 14 becoming ineligible to obtain a license under this section shall operate 15 as a revocation of the license. A license may be revoked or suspended as 16 provided for in section 530.14 of the criminal procedure law or section 17 eight hundred forty-two-a of the family court act. Except for a license 18 issued pursuant to section 400.01 of this article, a license may be 19 revoked and cancelled at any time in the city of New York, and in the 20 counties of Nassau and Suffolk, by the licensing officer, and elsewhere 21 than in the city of New York by any judge or justice of a court of 22 record; a license issued pursuant to section 400.01 of this article may 23 be revoked and cancelled at any time by the licensing officer or any 24 judge or justice of a court of record. A license to engage in the busi- 25 ness of dealer may be revoked or suspended for any violation of the 26 provisions of article thirty-nine-BB of the general business law. The 27 official revoking a license shall give written notice thereof without 28 unnecessary delay to the executive department, division of state police, 29 Albany, and shall also notify immediately the duly constituted police 30 authorities of the locality. 31 (b) Whenever the director of community services or his or her designee 32 makes a report pursuant to section 9.46 of the mental hygiene law, the 33 division of criminal justice services shall convey such information, 34 whenever it determines that the person named in the report possesses a 35 license issued pursuant to this section, to the appropriate licensing 36 official, who shall issue an order suspending or revoking such license. 37 (c) In any instance in which a person's license is suspended or 38 revoked under paragraph (a) or (b) of this subdivision, such person 39 shall surrender such license to the appropriate licensing official and 40 any and all firearms, rifles, or shotguns owned or possessed by such 41 person shall be surrendered to an appropriate law enforcement agency as 42 provided in subparagraph (f) of paragraph one of subdivision a of 43 section 265.20 of this chapter. In the event such license, firearm, 44 shotgun, or rifle is not surrendered, such items shall be removed and 45 declared a nuisance and any police officer or peace officer acting 46 pursuant to his or her special duties is authorized to remove any and 47 all such weapons. 48 12. Records required of gunsmiths and dealers in firearms. [Any] In 49 addition to the requirements set forth in article thirty-nine-BB of the 50 general business law, any person licensed as gunsmith or dealer in 51 firearms shall keep a record book approved as to form, except in the 52 city of New York, by the superintendent of state police. In the record 53 book shall be entered at the time of every transaction involving a 54 firearm the date, name, age, occupation and residence of any person from 55 whom a firearm is received or to whom a firearm is delivered, and the 56 calibre, make, model, manufacturer's name and serial number, or if none,A. 1054 8 1 any other distinguishing number or identification mark on such firearm. 2 Before delivering a firearm to any person, the licensee shall require 3 him to produce either a license valid under this section to carry or 4 possess the same, or proof of lawful authority as an exempt person 5 pursuant to section 265.20 of this chapter. In addition, before deliver- 6 ing a firearm to a peace officer, the licensee shall verify that 7 person's status as a peace officer with the division of state police. 8 After completing the foregoing, the licensee shall remove and retain the 9 attached coupon and enter in the record book the date of such license, 10 number, if any, and name of the licensing officer, in the case of the 11 holder of a license to carry or possess, or the shield or other number, 12 if any, assignment and department, unit or agency, in the case of an 13 exempt person. The original transaction report shall be forwarded to the 14 division of state police within ten days of delivering a firearm to any 15 person, and a duplicate copy shall be kept by the licensee. The super- 16 intendent of state police may designate that such record shall be 17 completed and transmitted in electronic form. A dealer may be granted a 18 waiver from transmitting such records in electronic form if the super- 19 intendent determines that such dealer is incapable of such transmission 20 due to technological limitations that are not reasonably within the 21 control of the dealer, or other exceptional circumstances demonstrated 22 by the dealer, pursuant to a process established in regulation, and at 23 the discretion of the superintendent. Records assembled or collected for 24 purposes of inclusion in the database created pursuant to section 400.02 25 of this article shall not be subject to disclosure pursuant to article 26 six of the public officers law. The record book shall be maintained on 27 the premises mentioned and described in the license and shall be open at 28 all reasonable hours for inspection by any peace officer, acting pursu- 29 ant to his special duties, or police officer. In the event of cancella- 30 tion or revocation of the license for gunsmith or dealer in firearms, or 31 discontinuance of business by a licensee, such record book shall be 32 immediately surrendered to the licensing officer in the city of New 33 York, and in the counties of Nassau and Suffolk, and elsewhere in the 34 state to the executive department, division of state police. 35 § 5. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part 36 of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to 37 be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the 38 remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, 39 sentence, paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved in the 40 controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered. 41 § 6. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 42 have become a law; provided that the superintendent of the division of 43 state police is authorized and directed to immediately adopt, amend, and 44 promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary and desirable 45 to effectuate the purposes of section two of this act.
