Senate Dems Pass Sweeping Gun-Violence Prevention Measures

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

January 29, 2019

ALBANY- Senator Brad Hoylman (D/WF-Manhattan) released the following statement in response to the passage of several key pieces of anti-gun violence legislation through the state legislature today:

Senator Hoylman said:  “Today New York rejected the gun lobby and embraced common sense. For decades, we have watched as mass shooting after mass shooting failed to spur change in Washington. While the federal government sits on its hands, we will not let the next Parkland or Sandy Hook happen on our watch. These tragedies are preventable--and the first step is to keep guns out of the hands of violent and dangerous people. Thanks to the undeterred efforts of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and my colleagues in the Democratic conference, common-sense gun legislation is now the law of the land in New York. We can only hope that other states will follow suit.”

The historic legislation passed by the Senate Democratic includes:

Extreme Risk Protection Orders: S.2451 allows law enforcement officials, family and household members and certain school officials to seek a court order requiring a person likely to harm themselves or others to relinquish any firearms in their possession.

Effective Background Check Act: S.2374 establishes an extension of time up to thirty calendar days for national instate background checks.

Bump Stock Ban: S.2448 prohibits the possession of a device that accelerates the rate of fire of a firearm.

Preventing School Districts from Allowing Teachers to be Armed: S.101A prevents K-12 schools from authorizing anyone other than a security officer, school resource officer, or law enforcement officer to carry a firearm on school grounds.

Gun Buy Backs: S.2449 directs the State Police to devise regulations for gun buyback programs so that all buyback programs across the state are operated consistently with uniform best practices.

Out of State Mental Health Records: S.2438 will require out-of-state applicants for gun permits to allow New York permitting authorities to review out-of-state mental health records.

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