New York Gov. Katie Hochul has signed a package of 10 bills designed to help reduce gun violence following mass shootings in Buffalo and Uwalde, Texas.
The action is one of the biggest changes to gun laws in New York since the remarkable 2013 Security Act passed some of the strictest firearms laws in every state in the nation.
New York lawmakers voted for the changes less than a month after a couple of mass shootings involving 18-year-old gunmen using semi-automatic rifles.
The first shooting killed 10 black people in what law enforcement called a racist attack on a grocery store in Buffalo on May 14. Ten days later, a shooting at a school in Texas killed 19 children and two teachers.
Here is a brief look at the impact of the new laws:
Permits for semi-automatic rifles are required
New York will require all buyers of semi-automatic rifles to obtain a state license. Until now, permits or licenses were required only for pistols.
Earlier, the Safety Act banned the sale of some modified AR-15-style rifles that have functions that are illegal in the state, such as protruding pistol grips.
New age limit for the purchase of semi-automatic rifles
By requiring a license for new purchases of semi-automatic rifles, New York lawmakers have effectively raised the minimum age for buyers from 18 to 21.
This is because existing state law requires New Yorkers to be 21 or older to obtain a firearms license.
Prohibition of body armor
The new law makes it illegal to buy and sell bulletproof vests and vests in New York to anyone who is not in the right profession. Most civilian sales will be banned. And the law requires that all sales of vests be made in person.
Eligible occupations include law enforcement officials and those designated by the New York State Department.
In the case of the shooting of Buffalo, the alleged gunman was wearing armor that protected him when he was shot by security guards at the store, authorities said. The gunman shot and killed a security guard, a retired Buffalo police officer.
Extending New York’s Red Flag Laws
Under this provision, New York’s red flag laws will be expanded. Healthcare practitioners who have examined a person in the last six months will be allowed to petition for an exceptional risk protection order. The order will temporarily restrict a person’s access to a weapon.
Those health care providers who can petition include therapists and social workers.
The law also requires police and district prosecutors to seek a warrant if there is “reliable information” that a person is threatening to cause serious harm to themselves or others.
And during the shootings in Buffalo and Uwalde, officials said gunmen made threatening statements at the high school.
Ammunition for micro-stamping
Under that law, New York would make it a crime to sell new semi-automatic pistols without micro-stamping, a process that marks bullets and cartridges with a unique fingerprint every time a weapon is fired.
Micro-stamping allows police to link bullets and shell casings found at a crime scene to a specific gun or other crime.
Before the state enforces the law, the criminal justice department will have to determine whether micro-stamping is a viable technology.
Ban on high-capacity magazines
New York has tightened its ban on high-capacity cartridges containing more than 10 rounds by closing two doors.
Previously, New Yorkers could legally own high-capacity magazines if they had been purchased before the Safety Act came into force in 2013 or produced before 1994. These exceptions will no longer be allowed.
Punishment of threats of mass damage
The law establishes two new crimes in New York for those who threaten mass damage.
The law criminalizes threatening to intimidate a group of people or cause public alarm.
Among the crimes punishable by law would be any threat that causes a school, business or other gathering place to be locked up or evacuated.
Extends the definition of a firearm
The new law expands the definition of firearms to include weapons specifically designed to evade existing laws governing their possession.
Lawmakers said the law aims to catch firearms that have been modified to be fired from a hand clamp, which avoids existing definitions of firearms and rifles under New York’s criminal law.
Stricter rules for arms dealers
Arms dealers will now have to ban people under the age of 18 from entering certain places in a store unless accompanied by a parent.
All employees will need to be trained on how to deal with transfers of firearms, rifles and shotguns, including how to identify and respond to illegal purchases.
Under the law, New York State police will have to inspect gun dealers every three years.
Sharing information about seized weapons
The law requires law enforcement to expand the information it shares with state and federal weapons databases.
Law enforcement agencies will have to report any weapons seized or seized to a criminal weapons clearing house and enter the make, model, caliber and serial number of the weapon in the database of the National Crime Information Center.
New responsibilities for social media
New York’s social media networks will now have to provide a clear and concise policy that explains how they would react to incidents of hateful behavior on their platform.
Social media sites will need to provide users with an easily accessible method of reporting hate behavior.
Related legislation will create a new state working group to study social media and violent extremism. The working group will recommend ways to prevent the spread of violent extremism online.
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