NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6121

Senate Bill S6121

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the dissemination of materials regarding child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 05, 2025	referred to codes

2025-S6121 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7566
Current Committee:: Senate Codes
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §845-f, Exec L

2025-S6121 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the preparation and dissemination of written materials regarding child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms; establishes such information shall be provided to students and/or persons in a parental relationship to such students at the beginning of each semester or quarter of the regular school year beginning on and after July 1, 2026.

2025-S6121 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6121

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the dissem-
ination of materials regarding child access prevention and the safe
storage of firearms

 
PURPOSE:

To require the division of criminal justice services to develop model
content related to child access prevention and safe storage of firearms
laws, and require school districts to provide notice of these laws to
parents and parental guardians of students.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the executive law to add a new section 845-f, entitled
"Firearms; child access prevention and safe storage."

First, it sets out definitions to be used in this section, including

"school district," "notice," and "school year." Notice is model content
outlined in subdivision two, produced in a concise, publishable format,
such as a brochure, flyer, handbill, leaflet, letter, or pamphlet.

Second, it requires the division of criminal justice services to devel-
op, on or before July 1, 2026, model content for notice of New York's
child access prevention laws and laws relating to the safe storage of
firearms, including but not limited to Penal Law § 265.45 and § 265.50.
The model content shall be produced in the English language and in
common non-English languages spoken in the state. The model content
shall also designate a section for county- and local-specific laws
submitted to it by each county. It then requires the division to update,
as necessary, the model content each July 1st. Lastly, it requires the
department to publish and update the model content on its website.

Third, it requires each county, on or before May 1, 2026, to submit to
the division all county- and local-specific laws and regulations related
to child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms.  It then
requires, as necessary, each county to submit any updated laws to the
department each subsequent May 1 going forward.

Fourth, it requires all school districts, beginning on July 1, 2026, to
provide notice, at the beginning of school year, of the model content
directly to parents, guardians, or persons in parental relation to each
student of the school; provided, however, that if a child enrolls after
the beginning of the school year, notice shall be provided within one
week of such enrollment. Notice may be provided as a single notice for
multiple students living in the same household.

Fifth, it requires all school districts, beginning on July 1 2026, to
maintain the model content through their website or affiliated social
media presences.

Sixth, it makes clear that local schools, school districts, and the
division of criminal justice services are immune from civil liability
for any damages allegedly caused by, arising out of, or relating to

notice if the entity provided notice using the model language provided
to it provided by the division.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

While New York has made important strides in passing gun-safety laws
related to the safe storage of firearms and child access prevention,
public awareness of the details of these laws remains comparatively low.
Increasing public awareness of gun-safety laws is especially relevant
for parents and parental guardians of students in school districts
across the state. Having up-to-date information can create safer commu-
nities and keep parents and parental guardians informed of gun-safety
laws pertinent to their daily lives.(1)

This legislation works to standardize and make accessible laws and
information related to safe storage of firearms and child access
prevention for parents and parental guardians by requiring the division
of criminal justice services to develop and update model content outlin-
ing current gun-safety laws. The model content shall also include any
county and/or local laws related to child access prevention and the safe
storage of firearms submitted to the division from each county.

Starting on July 1, 2026, every school district shall disseminate notice
of the model content to every parent or parental guardian of the
students of the school at the beginning of the school year. Every school
district shall also maintain the model content on their website and/or
affiliated social media presences.

Local schools, school districts, and the division of criminal justice
services are immune from civil liability for any damages allegedly
caused by, arising out of, or relating to notice if the entity provides
notice using the model content provided by the department.

The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that all parents, guardi-
ans, and persons in parental relation to students are kept up-to-date
with written and online information of current child access prevention
laws and laws related to the safe storage of firearms. By requiring the
division of criminal justice services to prepare such model content, and
requiring all school districts to disseminate such model content,
parents and parental guardians of students across the state of New York
will be sufficiently informed of laws that ensure their children's safe-
ty.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
(1) As one scholar explains, public legal education "provides people
with awareness, knowledge and understanding of rights and legal issues,
together with the confidence and skills they need to deal with disputes
and gain access to justice ... and .. recognize when they may need
support ... and how to go about getting it. see Richard Grimes, PUBLIC
LEGAL EDUCATION -THE ROLE OF LAW SCHOOLS IN BUILDING A MORE LEGALLY
LITERATE SOCIETY (2021).

2025-S6121 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6121
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 5, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the  dissem-
   ination  of  materials  regarding child access prevention and the safe
   storage of firearms

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 845-f
 to read as follows:
   § 845-F. FIREARMS; CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION AND SAFE  STORAGE.  1.  FOR
 THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
 ING MEANINGS:
   A. "SCHOOL DISTRICT" SHALL  MEAN  ANY  CITY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT,  COMMON
 SCHOOL  DISTRICT, UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OR
 CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT;
   B. "NOTICE" SHALL  MEAN  WRITTEN  INFORMATION  OF  THE  MODEL  CONTENT
 OUTLINED  IN  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS SECTION, PRODUCED IN A CONCISE,
 PUBLISHABLE FORMAT,  SUCH  AS  A  BROCHURE,  FLYER,  HANDBILL,  LEAFLET,
 LETTER,  OR  PAMPHLET,  THAT  IS  INTENDED  TO  BE  PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO
 PARENTS, GUARDIANS, OR PERSONS IN PARENTAL RELATION TO A STUDENT OF  THE
 SCHOOL, MAILED TO A STUDENT'S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS, EMAILED TO A PERSON IN
 PARENTAL  RELATION TO A STUDENT OF THE SCHOOL, OR DELIVERED BY ANY OTHER
 REASONABLE METHODS AUTHORIZED BY THE DIVISION; AND
   C. "SCHOOL YEAR" SHALL MEAN THE PERIOD COMMENCING ON THE FIRST DAY  OF
 REGULAR INSTRUCTION AND SHALL END ON THE LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION.
   2.  A. ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, THE DIVISION,
 IN CONSULTATION WITH THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH,  SHALL  DEVELOP  MODEL
 CONTENT  FOR  NOTICE  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE,  AT  A MINIMUM, INFORMATION
 OUTLINING NEW YORK'S CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION LAWS AND LAWS  RELATING  TO
 THE  SAFE  STORAGE  OF FIREARMS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SECTIONS
 265.45 AND 265.50 OF THE PENAL LAW. THE MODEL CONTENT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10216-02-5

 S. 6121                             2
 
 RELEVANT STATEWIDE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION  RELATED  TO  CHILD  ACCESS
 PREVENTION,   THE   SAFE  STORAGE  OF  FIREARMS,  AND  FIREARM  VIOLENCE
 PREVENTION.  THE DIVISION SHALL PRODUCE MODEL  CONTENT  IN  THE  ENGLISH
 LANGUAGE  AND  IN  COMMON NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE STATE. THE
 DIVISION SHALL UPDATE, AS NECESSARY, THE MODEL CONTENT EACH  JULY  FIRST
 THEREAFTER.
   B.    SUCH  MODEL  CONTENT  SHALL  DESIGNATE A SECTION FOR COUNTY- AND
 LOCAL-SPECIFIC LAWS AND REGULATIONS SUBMITTED TO IT BY  EACH  COUNTY  AS
 OUTLINED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION. THE DIVISION SHALL TAILOR
 THE MODEL CONTENT FOR EACH COUNTY BY INCLUDING IN THE DESIGNATED SECTION
 FOR  COUNTY-  AND  LOCAL-SPECIFIC  LAWS  AND REGULATIONS THE COUNTY- AND
 LOCAL-SPECIFIC LAWS SUBMITTED TO IT BY EACH COUNTY.
   C. THE DIVISION SHALL PUBLISH THE MODEL CONTENT DEVELOPED AND  UPDATED
 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS A AND B OF THIS SUBDIVISION ON ITS WEBSITE.
   3. ON OR BEFORE MAY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, EVERY COUNTY SHALL
 SUBMIT  TO  THE  DIVISION  ALL INFORMATION OF COUNTY- AND LOCAL-SPECIFIC
 LAWS AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO CHILD ACCESS  PREVENTION  AND  THE  SAFE
 STORAGE  OF  FIREARMS.    EVERY  COUNTY SHALL SUBMIT TO THE DIVISION ANY
 UPDATED INFORMATION, INSOFAR AS IT EXISTS, OF COUNTY- AND LOCAL-SPECIFIC
 LAWS RELATED TO CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION AND THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS
 EACH MAY FIRST THEREAFTER.
   4. THE DIVISION SHALL DIRECT, BEGINNING ON JULY  FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND
 TWENTY-SIX,  ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE NOTICE,
 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE  REGULAR  SCHOOL  YEAR,  OF  THE  MODEL  CONTENT
 OUTLINED  IN  PARAGRAPHS  A  AND  B  OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION;
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IF A CHILD ENROLLS AFTER THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE
 SCHOOL  YEAR,  NOTICE  OF THE MODEL CONTENT SHALL BE PROVIDED WITHIN ONE
 WEEK OF SUCH ENROLLMENT. NOTICE OF THE MODEL CONTENT MAY BE PROVIDED  AS
 A SINGLE NOTICE FOR MULTIPLE STUDENTS LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD.
   5.  THE  DIVISION  SHALL DIRECT, BEGINNING ON JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-SIX, ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAINTAIN, THROUGH THEIR  WEBSITE  OR
 AFFILIATED  SOCIAL  MEDIA PRESENCES, THE MODEL CONTENT OUTLINED IN PARA-
 GRAPHS A AND B OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS  SECTION.  THE  MODEL  CONTENT
 SHALL  BE  UPDATED, AS NECESSARY, PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION
 TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   6. LOCAL SCHOOLS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THE DIVISION ARE  IMMUNE  FROM
 CIVIL  LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY, ARISING OUT OF, OR
 RELATING TO NOTICE IF THE ENTITY PROVIDED NOTICE USING THE MODEL CONTENT
 PROVIDED TO IT BY THE DIVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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