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SENATORS HOYLMAN AND BROOKS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION OUTLAWING POSSESSION AND SALE OF BUMP-FIRE STOCKS
October 5, 2017
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NEW YORK, NY – State Senators Brad Hoylman (D, WF-Manhattan) and John E. Brooks (D-Seaford) introduced legislation today that would outlaw the possession, sale, or transport of accessories to accelerate the firing rate of a semiautomatic weapon, including bump-fire stocks. The legislation comes in the wake of the October 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, the deadliest in U.S. history, during which the gunman used a bump-fire stock to convert his firearms into virtually automatic weapons.
While it is against the law in New York to modify a firearm in a way that effectively makes it an automatic weapon, residents can still possess bump-fire stocks. The Senators’ bill would eliminate this loophole by making it a class D felony to possess, transport, ship or sell accessories to accelerate the firing rate of a semiautomatic weapon.
Senator Brad Hoylman said: “As we continue to make sense of Sunday’s tragic events, one thing is clear: the gunman’s use of bump-fire stocks made a horrific situation exponentially more deadly. Accessories that accelerate the firing rate of a semiautomatic weapon are nothing less than instruments of death. While New York has outlawed the use of these items, a loophole in our laws allows individuals to continue to possess, sell, or transport them within our state – endangering the lives of our residents.
“While we still need strong federal legislation to protect Americans from the ever-growing threat of gun violence,” Hoylman continued, “in the face of Congressional inaction, states must take the lead. There can be no lawful purpose to possess a firearm accessory that enables a single individual to unleash almost limitless carnage. It is time to close this loophole once and for all.”
Senator John Brooks said: "This is common sense legislation. We've seen the unimaginable devastation caused by b ump stocks and other devices that turn legal firearms into lethal fully-automatic machine guns, and we cannot allow that to happen in New York. People intent on causing mass destruction and loss of life cannot be aided by loopholes in our laws. Let's close the gap, and put our thoughts and prayers into action."
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