NY Legislature Passes Tough Package of Gun Control Laws – NBC4 New York

The New York Legislature on Thursday passed a package of 10 laws barring anyone under the age of 21 from buying or owning a semi-automatic rifle, a major change to state firearms laws that passed less than three weeks after An 18-year-old used one of the weapons to kill 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo.

“Our nation has reached a time of reckoning because of the weapons of war that have been too easily accessed by those who seek to kill. These weapons have turned places in our communities like schools, grocery stores, houses of worship and concerts, in places of carnage,” tweeted Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Senate Majority Leader.

The bill passed the Senate 43-20 and the Assembly 102-47. The legislation, which also establishes a licensing requirement, is the centerpiece of a package of gun control bills announced to earlier this week by Democratic legislative leaders and Governor Kathy Hochul.

The set of laws is now ready to head to the president’s desk for her signature.

New York already requires people to be 21 years old to own a firearm. Younger people would still be allowed to own other types of rifles and shotguns, but the change in the law would restrict ownership of the type of rapid-fire rifles used by 18-year-old gunmen in mass shootings in Buffalo and at a school. Texas Elementary.

In addition to raising the legal purchase age to 21, the bill would also require anyone who buys a semi-automatic rifle to obtain a license, something now only required for handguns.

Republicans chided Democrats for pushing a broader measure than Hochul originally proposed.

Sen. Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx, pushed back against Republicans who argued the bill will make gun owners uncomfortable and infringe on Second Amendment rights.

“It’s meant to be a nuisance for those people who want to quickly get something they can mass murder people with,” he said.

Semi-automatic rifles automatically load each bullet after firing, although firing requires pulling the trigger for each round. That makes it possible for mass murderers to kill more people in a short period of time.

The change would greatly affect areas outside of New York City, which already requires permits to own, carry and purchase any type of firearm and bars most applicants under the age of 21.

In other parts of New York, people as young as 16 can own long guns like rifles and shotguns without a license.

Sen. Alexis Weik, a Republican from Long Island, noted that an 18-year-old could still travel to another state and buy a semi-automatic rifle.

Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Democrat from Long Island and one of the bill’s sponsors, responded, “Are you advocating for federal gun control? Because that’s what it takes.”

New York joins a handful of states, including Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and Washington, that require buyers to be at least 21 years old instead of 18 to buy some types of long guns. Similar legislation has been proposed in Utah.

California’s attempt to raise the legal age to buy semi-automatic weapons has been challenged in court.

Another bill in New York would require new guns to be equipped with micro-stamp technology, allowing law enforcement investigators to more easily link guns to fired bullets.

The state also passed legislation that would restrict the purchase of bulletproof vests and expand the list of people who can apply for an extreme risk protection order, a court order that can temporarily bar someone from buying or owning a firearm if they are believed. a danger to himself or others.

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